Medcom
by Noralesong
Summary: Greyson is a detective, investigating crime rings in Hoenn when Team Rocket leader, Giovanni's, daughter arrives for mysterious reason. Ordered by the chief of police, Greyson assumes his role as a pokemon trainer once again. Vivienne, on the other hand, arrives in Hoenn to begin unraveling Team Rocket's infiltration of Hoenn in an effort to stop her tyrannical father.
1. Chapter 1

**This story is rated T for various adult themes including profanity, drugs, gangs/mafia, violence, and sexual themes.**

 **This story is also based on a more "realistic" setting with jobs, problems, and crime that isn't touched upon in this manner within the show and games. The characters are also significantly older than most fandoms, seeing that they each have adult occupations. Pokemon are viewed as animals by some and partners by others, and have various roles in the story.**

 **Reviews are welcome. I hope you all enjoy. I do have some faceclaims for the characters I may later share.**

* * *

 _You don't choose your family._

 _If there were one thing in the world that I could alter, it would be that. In this world, people had few things to worry about. I remember when I had been a pre-teen, watching all the other children go on their journeys with their new pokemon. According to father, the world was cruel, especially for a girl of elevated status. My sister had respected his wishes, but I had only resented him for it. I wanted to be like everyone else._

 _"It's for your safety."_

 _"The world would eat up a little girl like you."_

 _"It's only because I love you."_

 _But if a father truly loved his daughter, he would let her go when she was ready. Was I never ready? I did everything he asked, I made high marks in school, and was a good girl. That wasn't what he wanted. He gave Priscilla everything I had wanted, letting her go on her journey when she was 14 year old. I was her senior by a year! Why wasn't I allowed to go? Instead, he'd given me a pokemon as a gift, a Litleo to chase away my loneliness._

 _Maybe he was afraid that I'd talk about his work, that my big mouth would get the family in trouble. I'd never agreed with his line of work, but I wasn't the idiot he believed me to be. Only Priscilla was intelligent enough for him, not me, and so I rotted away in the family estate while she got to enjoy her childhood and work at becoming his successor. As much as I resented him, I had always been thankful for Magnar, or the little Litleo he had given to me. The pokemon became my truest friend, where people would always proved their motivations were aligned with money or rising in the ranks beneath my father's company._

 _Now, I was an adult and college graduate. After working for a handful of years, I could afford to go on the journey I'd always wanted. The world was much different from when I wanted to embark on my original trip. Streets were more dangerous, many children were forced to wait until they were older due to drug and pokemon trafficking, and gangs virtually ran the streets. Violent crimes were on the rise and laws had buckled down on how battles were managed and ran. Underground pits had formed, fighting rings so that people could 'truly' test their pokemon. The fights were cruel, sometimes forcing pokemon to fight until their deaths._

 _I'd heard them referred to as pit-pokemon, raised only for gladiator like purposes. I knew father had a hand in it too, putting some of his goons to manage the fighting pits across Kanto. Yet another thing I resented him for aside from walling me in. I couldn't exactly go to school for criminal justice without him noticing, especially with him funding my trip into university._

 _Instead, I became a doctor. I wanted help the pokemon and people who were hurt by this world because of people like my father. Just getting away from him had been hard enough, I could only imagine what life was like when you were bound to him by your job or by drugs or money. With this leave from work, I could further my research and witness the state of Hoenn._

* * *

"Running late today Greyson?" a woman by the name of Ludwig asked as he walked into the headquarters.

"It's my day off," he told her grumpily, trying to tousle his hair so it was properly parted to the side and combed over, but with such short notice, he hadn't had the chance to take a shower.

"Poor luck, detective, you're wanted in the conference room in 2. I can grab you a cup of joe if you'd like," Ludwig offered, flashing a wicked smile at him.

"That'd be great-"

"Black, black like your soul. I've got it sunshine," she told him before flouncing off in a different direction.

Detective Greyson was a man nearly his thirties, tall and solidly built from his strict physical regiment. With how dangerous the roads were, an officer needed to be as fit as their pokemon. He had raven hair, that was typically combed over to the side and a bit of stubble that he'd been unable to shave that morning. The abruptness of the meeting could only mean that one of the cases he had been working on was making headway.

Waiting for him in the conference room was Police Chief Kline and Lieutenant Pearce. Kline was a broad bear of a man, burly, hairy, and with a glare that would intimidate even the strongest of pokemon. Pearce was a prim and proper woman, middle aged, and with dead coal eyes. A few other subordinates that were tracking the pit-fighting were also inside the room in the officer uniforms.

"Nice of you to join us, Greyson. Sorry to wake you from your PTO, but we've got a big player entering the country," Kline greeted stiffly. Nodding to Pearce.

Picking up a remote, she turned on a projector and began with the first slide. "As we know, the evening streets of Hoenn are becoming increasingly dangerous due in part to Team Magma and their beneficiaries Team Rocket. Crime rings have been springing up all along the largest cities, sometimes spilling out into the more rural and harder to reach areas. Drug activity, illegal pokemon trading, and pit-fighting is occurring in unknown locations.

"We have just found out that one of the daughters of the Team Rocket leader's is coming to Hoenn," the slides switched to a young woman. The majority of the slides were pictures taken without the individual knowing, and were caught while she was dressed in coats and had glasses and a hat on. Only a few depicted the woman from the front and with her face clear of any obstructions. Her hair was a stark white like a fresh coat of snow, her eyes the pale blue of frost, she was tall and slender; this picture was of her in a graduation uniform holding up what appeared to be a medical degree.

"Her name is Vivenne, Giovanni's genius daughter. She attended university at the age of 15 and graduated from medical school at 21. Unlike her counterpart, Priscilla, who is renowned for following in her father's footsteps-" an image of the woman flashed, golden hair and eyes, "-little is known of Vivienne after she completed her schooling. We're working on getting her files released from Kanto, but the authorities have already informed us that they're sealed and confidential, so it will take time for the clearance to pass for us to have it. But we suspect she's been working as a private practitioner to Team Rocket in the last four years.

"As for pokemon, the most we know is that she is often escorted by a Pyroar," the slide shifted to an enormous feline pokemon. The regal beast would have been a result of perfect breeding if not for the terrible scars that laced over his eye and right cheek, curling that side of his lip in a permanent grimace. "The Pyroar is definitely a pit-bred pokemon, as it is larger and more muscular than any of its normal counterparts. It stands at about 6 feet and weighs in at nearly 18 stones. We assume she has other pokemon at her disposal, but those remain unbeknownst to us."

"And why are we tracking her? You brought me back from my vacation just to tell me that one of Giovanni's daughters was here? How do you know she's not coming here to go on a cruise? If she were a notorious criminal, don't you think that Kanto would have released her files to us immediately?" Greyson challenged dubiously.

"There's a lot of mystery surrounding this one and until Kanto releases the information they have on her, we have to go with our guts, and I say this is daddy's little princess that he's made certain to keep secret. Priscilla is going to succeed him, from what we can see, but with a woman of this intellect on his side, there's no doubt that her research is into making pokemon stronger and developing methods of making them so. Just look at her Pyroar, I don't believe I've ever seen one so large."

"This is all based on a lot of assumptions, we could just wait," Greyson argued, despite his own occupation. Working in criminal justice, a lot of work was founded on suspicions before actual evidence was brought in.

"And wait until what? What if she's come here with a new drug or booster? Then because we waited, we'll be even further behind," Kline shook his head in disdain. "We have to act and as swiftly as possible."

"How? If this woman is really a genius, how are we going to outsmart her? We have no charges to detain her on, this is a witch hunt if I've ever seen one."

"That's why you're here," Ludwig entered with two cups of coffee, offering Greyson the black one. "You were brought back here to be informed that you'd be going undercover for this mission. You're of a similar age to Miss Vivienne. Our intell has stated that there is no plan for anyone to meet her once her plane makes landfall. It would seem she's working on her own for most of this. On top of that, she's book smart, not street smart, which means you may have more of an upper hand than you believe. Wherever she was for the past four years, it wasn't on the streets, or we'd have more pictures of her to share."

"So, you want me to just walk up to her and offer to be her friend? If she's really Giovanni's daughter, I doubt I'll even get that close."

"You're a cunning man, Greyson, get close to her and figure out what she's doing here. If she's just on a vacation, then so be it, but her family has enough money that they could go on a trip without ever being spotted. If she's here on 'research', then why would she turn down the help of a local? Get deep, do what you need to do to prove you're trustworthy. She may be the key to finding more crime rings."

"First vacation I take in three years and I can't even enjoy that," Greyson muttered, crossing his arms. "Where am I going?"

"Slateport, so we've got to get you flying out of here as soon as possible."

"Great… And any backstory you'd like to give me? Or I assume I'm supposed to just make up an alias on my way there…"

"You can pick up where you left off from your training years. You were a well known trainer, were you not?" Pearce asked him.

"Ah yes, finally I make a debut after more than 10 years of vanishing," he grumbled, brushing his hair back with his fingers.

The team's eagerness to jump on this unsettled him. There were plenty of other young bucks who might have loved to play undercover with a beautiful mobster's daughter. Why him? Sure they were of a similar age, but there seemed to be more information they weren't telling him. Why wasn't Kanto releasing her file? This just smelled of Witness Protection and he might be the one getting caught in the middle of it. Could it be that Pearce was trying to get back at him for his undermining of her authority? Demanding that he be sent for this job despite the other, lower caste officers who were available?

"Very well, tell Birch I'll be coming off my hiatus then. How am I getting to Slateport again?"

"You'll be taking your Flygon, no?"

 _Of course they won't provide me with an actual helicopter or jet,_ Greyson thought bitterly to himself. "I guess so. I suppose I'll be using our Poke'Navs for communication then?"

"Yes, any files we receive about Miss Vivienne will be forwarded to you," Kline assured him.

"As expected, well I'll be off then. No use in idle chatter when the plane will be touching down soon," Greyson said, drinking the rest of his coffee. "I'll be in touch."


	2. Chapter 2

The flight had been a turbulent one, boxed in closely with other people because Vivienne had chosen to fly coach. It had been all she'd been able to afford, seeing that the rest of her money would need to be saved for once she arrived in Hoenn. The difference in Poke` was absurd when it came between the difference in 1st class and coach. Pinching her pennies where she could, Vivienne had been stuck in a middle seat with two folks who'd rather sleep and grumble to themselves than enjoy a pleasant conversation. On top of not having Magnar with her, the long flight from Kanto had made her restless.

If only she had gotten a window seat, then she could have stared out it, watching for passing pokemon and Slateport approaching. In front of her, she could hear some of the children ogling as the sub-tropical sight. Viv had been to Alola, but not Hoenn. A woman with tastes for the cold, she hoped that Hoenn wasn't too sticky and mild.

" _Please buckle your seat belts, we will be landing shortly,_ " the flight attendant directed.

Vivienne was already cozily buckled into place, the seat belt cinched tight due to how nervous she had grown over the earlier turbulence.

 _Just think! Once you get off this plane and into baggage claim, you'll be able to release Magnar,_ she reminded herself as she checked the buckle once more.

The ride down wasn't much better, the wheels bouncing against the pavement, waking even the heaviest sleepers. Groans, gasps, and moans emitted from everyone as they unbuckled themselves, plane careening to the gate they would be unloading at. Viv managed to glance out the window, clear blue skies gleaming down at them, wingulls flying just outside.

Her stomach twisted in excitement, giddy like a child as she waited impatiently.

" _The weather in Slateport is sunny with a temperature of 80 degrees fahrenheit. It is 1300, a bit earlier than when we left Kanto, so be certain to catch up on your sleep where needed. Please make sure to secure your overhead luggage and thank you for flying with Charizard Airlines,"_ the attendant bid as people began standing, prematurely waiting to unload from the plane before it had even been hooked up to the gate.

In the middle of the plane, it took a while before everyone in front of them had unloaded and slowly ushered out. Vivienne had packed as lightly as she dared, but had only taken her satchel with her on the plane. Her packs had been deemed too heavy, which made sense, seeing that Magnar always carried them for her.

Stopping by the bathroom, Vivienne changed from her coat and trousers, to a pale blue flowered romper, grey walking boots, and a wide brimmed tan sun hat. Once at baggage claim, she released Magnar from the bonds of his poke'ball. Many other people had released their own pokemon, but balked at his size when they spotted him. Most of the other customers had small pokemon that were easy to carry or flitted around their feet. For a moment, it appeared as if one of the workers might tell her that Magnar was too big, but when she found her bags and began attaching them to him, no one approached her.

"Sorry to keep you cooped up that whole time, but you wouldn't have fit in a seat even if I'd bought you a ticket," Vivienne told him apologetically.

Magnar gave her a disdainful look and huffed as they left the airport. They passed by a few shuttles and taxi stations before trundling far enough away that they could really see Slateport down below. The airport had been fixed in the north western part of the city.

"I could use a bite to eat, I heard there's a few pokemon friendly shacks on their beaches…" Viv drawled, glancing up at her partner.

Magnar cocked his head, contemplating it, before giving a lazy nod. He bowed his head low enough that Vivenne would be able to climb onto him. Once secured, the pokemon headed off, running for the southern reaches of Slateport. He only slowed himself down once they reached the sand and began kicking it up.

Today was certainly a beach day. Tourists and trainers alike were scattered among the crowd, taking roost on the soft sands to enjoy the heat, water, and events. Toward the back of the beach some trainers were committed to battles, whereas those who were looking for a more lax day were closer to the water.

Vivienne directed Magnar to the closest restaurant that had a big sign stating "Pokemon Friendly". A bell twinkled behind them as they entered, the bar half full of customers. It was a bit warm inside, a fan acting as the only circulation in the room.

Viv chose one of the bar spots that had an empty space beside it for a pokemon to sit. Magnar was so large that he was able to sit beside her and still meet the eye of the bartender.

"Oh my, haven't seen one of those before," the bartender said, looking over Magnar, as he smiled uncertainly at her.

"He's a Pyroar," she told him politely.

"And very well mannered, I can see," he observed as he slid a menu over toward her. "Give me a shout whenever you're ready to order."

Vivienne observed the menu, putting her order in once she had decided. While they were waiting, her eyes slid across the room. Everything seemed so pleasant here, but that was probably due to the daylight. What she was truly searching for would be found at night, in clubs, or in the alleys posing as someone she was not. Slateport was also a hotspot for tourists and grunts were more likely to be cautious due to the constantly shifting faces. Lilycove and Mauville were going to prove to have those night lifes she was looking to infiltrate.

"You new around here?" someone asked her as her food was placed down in front of her.

Vivienne glanced to her right, noticing that a man had taken the seat beside her, an Arcanine beside him, tongue lolling. He was handsome, maybe a little bit older than herself, and very clean cut. His style sort of reminded her as being militaristic.

"Yes, just visiting," she replied, pleased that someone had finally decided on speaking to her. The plane ride had been so boring and as much as she enjoyed talking to Magnar, nothing beat having an actual conversation.

"As a tourist, trainer?..." he drawled, cerulean eyes smiling at her.

"Oh no, I'm not a trainer. I'm a doctor. I came to Hoenn to do a bit of research on the berries here and effects on pokemon and humans alike. After all, an Oran berry heals pokemon a small bit, but can act as a mild hallucinogen for humans. I thought I'd enjoy the scenery as well while I was here," she replied, producing the story she had created before making her trip to Hoenn. A doctor under the guise of research was not very suspicious.

"A doctor? Really? You don't look old enough to be a doctor," the man said, perhaps teasing her.

Vivienne chuckled in spite of herself. "I've heard that so many times that I've stopped trying to convince people. What about you, mysterious stranger? Are you from around here?"

"Liam Greyson," he replied. "Local through and through, just doing a bit of soul searching. Been a pokemon trainer most of my life and decided to hit the road again and travel throughout the countryside to see how it's changed."

"I'm Vivienne and this is Magnar. How about your friend over there?" she gestured to the Arcanine.

"Oh, this dope? His name is Bjorn," Liam hooked an arm around the beast's neck and drew him in. Bjorn's tongue lolled as he did, saliva dripping down his jowls.

Vivienne nearly pet him, but stopped herself before she did, uncertain if she would be viewed as rude. "Aren't you a bit _old_ to be a trainer?" she retorted.

"I deserve that," he said, sitting back in his seat. "I see you've got your partner there, who certainly is intimidating, but I hope you're not traveling alone."

Vivienne snorted at him, covering her mouth when she did. "No, I thought I could handle myself," she replied, giving him a look over again. Liam didn't appear to be a vagrant type or like conmen she'd met in her father's service. There had been a portion of her youth where her father had spent introducing her to all those sorts so she wouldn't make the mistake of being swindled by them.

"The road is dangerous, just a friendly tip."

"Are you trying to pick me up?"

"That depends, would you be willing to entertain a travel companion and their pokemon?"

"Hm," Vivienne picked up her iced tea and took a sip. "Can I see your Trainer ID? After all, the country is dangerous and I only just met you."

Liam reached into his pocket and produced a wallet, sliding out his ID. Vivienne took it, retrieving her Poke'Nav, using it to scan his ID. The screen pulled up Liam Greyson, multiple pictures from various social medias, most of which was from when he was younger. She noted badges and paused when she found that part of his trainer profile was locked. Her Poke'Nav had clearance to read not just trainer data but any other pertinent information regarding an individual. Liam's was locked after his Hall of Fame years, which led her to believe he was certainly associated with the government, military, or police force. Perhaps not a bad match at all.

"You were a Hall of Famer?" she handed him back his ID. Despite her curiosity about him and why she couldn't see the records of his adulthood, she was also impressed that she was sitting across from someone who had defeated the Elite Four. Once, it had been her own wish to fight the gyms in Kanto and Johto, later to attempt Victory Road and the Elite Four.

"Hush, keep it down, I don't need any of my fans finding out I'm still around."

"Well, if you had opened with that I might have been more eager to accept. It's not everyday you run into a Hall of Famer," Vivienne informed him. Magnar gave a small grunt, as if he weren't impressed by the news. "If you keep the other trainers away, I'll be certain to keep the health of your pokemon in check in exchange."

"That's fair enough, means less trips to the Pokemon Center and specialized assistance. Not to mention I'll be the envy of any town we pass through with a pretty doctor by my side."

Vivienne chuckled, even if the flattery had done little. "Keep coming at me like that and I might just leave you in this bar, Hall of Famer or not. This is an alliance, two people with similar interests in traveling linking up as long as it suits either of them. I will warn you, Magnar does have a temper."

"Alright, alright, I'll lay off Sunshine. Is there anything you wanted to see in Slateport?"

"I only just got here so I did plan to enjoy the beach some, check out the marketplace, and then the nightlife tonight? I've got reservations tonight to stay at the Pelipper Hotel. I figure having you at any clubs I go to will help keep away any… less than desirable people. You've got a clean, no-nonsense look about you."

"Ah, so I can't flirt with you, but you can use me as a man shield?"

"As a weak woman in a scary, foreign country, that's why I agreed to keep you around; to be a man shield."

"Speaking of the Pelipper Hotel, was than an invitation to stay with you?"

"No, I was just stating where I would be staying if you wanted to try and reserve a room there… Or stay at the Pokemon Center in the communal quarters, the choice is yours," Vivienne took some Poke` from her satchel and placed it on the counter. "Now, I'm going to enjoy the beach for a bit. I'll catch you later?"

Liam was about to gesture to his Poke'Nav, but she nodded. "Yeah, I got it when I scanned your ID."

* * *

Liam hadn't expected it to be so easy to get the doctor to agree to travel with him. The moment she'd mentioned that he had a clean look, he'd wondered if he cover was blown. He didn't know what he Trainer ID would dredge up, but it seemed as if the department had taken care to be certain no one would be able to reveal his true identity through it.

Watching her leave, he leaned back in his seat, Bjorn breathing heavily in his ear. "I know, I know boy," he mused, wondering why the target had to be so attractive. Detective Greyson had always had a soft spot for women, but not in a well intending manner. Was he a womanizer? Certainly, and all of the seasoned female officers knew not to get wrapped up with him. However, once in a while went a new recruit became an officer, he'd have his fun. Most often, he'd gotten his kicks from women at clubs and one night stands. Miss Vivienne had already shot him down, but saw his experience worth value.

 _And it's always the ones who provide the chase that are more fun… But she's a target, not someone the department would like me sleeping with,_ he thought before placing his coin on the table and standing. Pelipper Hotel was expensive and had an exceptional bar, but it wasn't a crime spot. It was where those with money stayed when the visited Slateport.

"Just like the good old days," he muttered, running his fingers through Bjorn's fur. He recalled when this place had been a pop shack filled with trainers. Everything had changed so much, became more commercialized, and people were less willing to talk to each other. Was it because of the crime? Or was it just development in technology? Aside from pokemon battles, people had their social media to keep up their personas, whatever lives they were or were pretending to live.

However, when he searched for Vivienne, no social media pages came up for her. He had been kind of hoping to find some selfies or candids. Even her sister, Priscilla, had her own social media pages filled with pictures. Just who was she? You could glean so much from what people chose to post and yet all they had were pictures snapped as she passed by and her graduation photos.

Liam made his way outside where he paroused the beaches for his new companions. He found Vivienne applying sunblock beneath one of the umbrellas, Magnar stretched out in the sand beside her. He was taken aback to see that the slender, long legged woman was more athletic than he had originally believed. In a white bikini, her stomach was flat with the slight outline of abs.

"You're an athlete too, doctor?"

Vivienne lowered her sunglasses at him, arching a dark brow. "Health isn't only in the mind and the best way to remain healthy is to exercise. Did you come here just to ogle me?" she laid down on her towel.

"If I don't, I'm certain someone else will approach you."

She might have been ignoring him, but Liam continued to stare, noticing a few scars on her body. _Bullet marks?_ He could see the frayed entrance wounds, they were silvery and barely visible, her feet were also calloused from hiking excessively, boots most likely. He hadn't expected a doctor who had an elevated and lofty position to be rucking it hard. Maybe she was more associated with that line of work than they had assumed. Where else would she have gotten bullet wounds?

"I'll leave you to enjoy your peace then-"

"H-Help! My brother! The tide pulled him out and he's not a strong swimmer!" a young lady was running out from the water, an inner tube around her.

People were stunned, when it came to fast reaction in time of need, most people were momentarily shocked before their brain kicked into gear. Liam already had a poke'ball in his hands, kicking off his shoes as he started sprinting for the water. He had his shirt off by the time he hit the water, releasing his Kingdra in before him. There was no need for speaking, hooking his arm around his pokemon, as panic rocked the shore, the lifeguards finally seemed to be reacting to the girl's sobbing.

The boy had been no match for the riptide which tore him away from playing with his sibling. A form was floating nearby, facedown, nearly two football fields length from the shore.

"There!" he directed Neptune, his pokemon pushing harder.

 _Fuck! I hope this doctor is as good as the department seems to believe she is,_ he thought, grabbing the young boy. He had hoped he'd be in an inner tube like his sister, but he only had floaties on his arms and the effort from trying to swim back, combined with the waves had caused him to inhale water until he could no longer struggle against it.

Taking the child back to the beach, he carried him to the crowd that was waiting. Lifeguards were rushing toward him, but it was a shrill voice that pierced through the worry.

"Get out of my way! I'm a doctor! Let me through!"

Vivienne pushed her way through, Magnar snarling at those who weren't moving. She had her bag with her as Liam brought the blue lipped boy before her. She collapsed in the sand, placing her ear to his mouth before she began CPR. Magnar bowed low and opened his mouth, warmth pouring out of it as he attempted to bring heat to the child's skin.

When the CPR wasn't enough, Vivienne pulled a poke'ball out and released a Magnezone. The lifeguards were about to offer her an AED kit, but the doctor instead instructed her pokemon to place its magnet hands on the child's chest in the directed spots. "Once," she directed, giving an exact voltage before the Magnezone pulsed the child. The boy was charged 3 times before he coughed and sputtered up water.

Vivienne leaned the boy up as he regurgitated a good portion of the water and began crying hoarsely. Magnar closed in to provide more heat, someone offered a clean towel to wrap the child in, his terrified sister closing in to grab him and join in his sobbing.

"This child will still need to go to the hospital," Vivienne told the lifeguards as she cradled him. "He'll need to be monitored and given proper fluids."

"An ambulance is already on the way, doctor," one of them told her. "Thank you both for your fast actions."

Vivienne seemed not to hear him after he stated the ambulance was on the way. "How are you feeling, darling? Are your parents nearby?"

"They're at the resort," the girl sniffed.

"Do you know their phone number? Why don't you give them a call on my Poke'Nav? That way they can meet you two at the hospital," Vivienne offered, pulling her device out for the girl to make the call on.

Once the ambulance arrived and took the children away, Vivienne laid into the lifeguards and police who had arrived on site.

"I know this is a vacation spot, but the lifeguards should be more diligent. My friend was able to run halfway down the beach and get into the water before them! On top of that, they should have noticed the poor thing was being swept out. Do they not have eyes? That's what they're paid to do! Watch the water for children like that, not chat it up with the tourists," she told the police, arms crossed as she pinned the nearby lifeguards with glares.

"Ma'am, thank you for your service today, the report is going to be handed down. We'll be certain that this is followed up on, but from what we've heard, the both of you reacted before the lifeguards even had a chance to," the officer stated.

He was just doing his job, Liam knew it, but he could see the exasperated expression on the woman's face, her cheeks flushed. Her point was that they should have noticed the boy was being pulled out while it was happening instead of after. But to this officer, the child was alive and safe, and that was all that mattered. Not that some doctor was getting red faced over the whole ordeal.

"Viv, why don't we turn in for now? The boy is safe," Liam interjected, trying to put an end. She was talking to a wall.

She whirled on him, her icy eyes filled with fury. But, after a moment of regarding him, she touched her temple and nodded slowly. "Just make sure this gets reported," she told the officer before retreating, shifting her satchel on her shoulder.

Greyson let a little silence pass between them as they walked back to where she had originally been lounging. "I didn't take you for such a… passionate person."

Vivienne breathed a laugh as she kicked the sand with her bare toes. "If people just did their jobs, especially first responders, so many things could be prevented. I'm sorry if I came off a little crazy, but I don't regret trying to drive my point. They won't report it though, I could see it written on their faces. I'm just some ranting doctor, probably a little stressed out and hyped on adrenaline from resuscitating a little boy. But they're wrong, it's moments like those that I'm in total clarity."

"You're not crazy, you are right. Lifeguards should have been on that before the little girl got back," he snuck a glance at her. "You know, we made quite a good team."

"I suppose we did," she said, looking over at him.

Greyson could have sworn he saw her check him out.


	3. Chapter 3

Stepping out of the shower, Vivienne swaddled herself in a towel before heading into her hotel room. She had to admit there was an uncanny cleanliness about the area and while she could appreciate freshly laundered sheets, she was almost afraid to disturb anything. Magnar, on the other hand, sprawled out on her bed, coating it in fur.

 _So much for wanting to not ruin it,_ she thought as she opened one of the saddle packs and pulled out an outfit. She had intended on visiting the market, but daylight had eluded her after the ordeal at the beach. Sometimes, her fury overwhelmed her passed the point of knowing when to relent. Even so, she was been a little taken aback by the man she had agreed to travel with.

She had been worried she might have been rash to sign on with the first decent looking local that approached her, but when he sprinted for the water without an afterthought, she had known that her choice had been a sound one. But just who was he? The guy was ripped, there was no doubt of that, she'd noticed mostly after she had stopped seeing red. As much as he tried to butter her up, he didn't lack in the look department either.

 _We did make a good team,_ she thought, thumbing the fabric of a dress, as she remained crouched. _Don't become weak Viv, he was definitely eying you. Even if he does remind you of Griff. You didn't give into Griff did you?_

But Griff was leagues away and unable to help here in Hoenn. The reach of his influence was limited to Kanto and Johto, so Viv would have to make her own friends. It just so happened that attractive people brought along more attractive people. Standing, she retreated back to the bathroom to get ready. Downstairs, she had spotted a very nice bar, but that really wasn't the scene she was looking for. Even if she might have personally preferred a piano bar with soft music and a lax atmosphere, the information she wanted would be at loud, cheap hovels that would have people grinding all over each other.

The mere thought of so many people being so close to her, sweaty, clammy, and trying to buy her drinks and possibly drug her made her shudder. If she could find Greyson, she'd grab him before she planned to go out. Seemingly, he was a pokemon master, even if that had been in the past.

 _You're doing it again,_ she reminded herself as she slipped on the dress. Much tighter and scant that she would have preferred, but it would do. A silver, skin tight dress with a v-shaped neckline and back, made of fine fabric. In club lights it would be difficult to tell that it was designer; a sequined clutch went along with it, her poke'balls stashed inside. She didn't know if clubs allowed pokemon in them. The bars she'd enjoyed going to allowed those that were welltrained, but with how cramped clubs were, she doubted she would have Magnar to deter men.

Once Vivienne had styled her hair and put on a little makeup she was pleased with how she looked. She and Magnar left the room, sending a quick message to Greyson that she'd be leaving soon to hit the town. Unfortunately, she didn't spot him outside, so she began down the streets with her partner.

The moonlight fell into the streets, but the light that illuminated them belonged to the lampposts. Many other tourists also had the idea in mind to go out clubbing, dress in outfits as sleezy as Vivienne felt. She didn't expect this town to be as dangerous, but who knew what it might throw at her? She'd heard of some places where tourists just went missing, bodies turning up days after. Slateport was not notorious for crime, so she hoped she would just get some leads. Most of the traffic in the city aside from tourism was also for the contests that were held there.

Viv sent Liam another update once she had found a club that sufficed, supplying the name of the club he had chosen; Spicy Squirtle.

Inside, the club was water themed, fake bubble baubles on the walls, at the bar, and in nearly every decoration fathomable. There could have been so many tasteful ways to create a water theme, but instead, the underlighting was tuned to a deep blue and the bar was the only brightly lit area, which, at best, was just due to the lights beneath the bottles of alcohol. The music was loud and raucous, so deafening that she couldn't even eavesdrop on those just a few paces from her.

"What can I get you sweet cheeks?" the bartender came to her nearly the moment she had taken a seat at one of the few empty high stools.

Clicking her heel against the stool stem, Viv pursed her lips. "What are your specials?" she asked.

"We've got a drink called the Tidal Wave, a Curacao Martini-"

"Tidal wave sounds good to me," she told him, turning her back to glance out into the crowd of meshing bodies. She only turned back to watch the bartender make her drink, taking it in her hand the moment he placed it in front of her. It wouldn't leave her hand until she was done, to prevent anyone from spiking it.

Her eyes were scanning the crowd when an undesirable sauntered up beside her. Even with the dim lights, she seemed to stick out. While she might have been unable to make people out in the darkness, others were skilled in what she lacked.

"Hey baby, can I buy you a drink?"

Pet names. Pet names absolutely drove her mad. She never minded if people shortened her name, seeing that it was long, but derogatory names had always gotten beneath her skin. "No thank you," she replied coolly, sipping from the Tidal Wave she had ordered.

"Ouch brother, that's cold. You need some ice to apply to your ego?" another man asked him, perhaps a friend.

"Naw man, if this bitch don't want a free drink, that's fine."

Vivienne ignored them and eventually they sauntered off.

"That won't be the last of them, you know," someone told her, a man sitting nearby at the bar. He had light hair, it was difficult to tell what color with all the flashing lights, perhaps blonde.

"I must have a target on my back," she muttered. The guy had given up too easily, perhaps afraid that the bouncers would kick him out if he caused a ruckus. She wasn't going to get anything here aside from a headache.

"I wouldn't call it a target, but any woman looks attractive in club lights. Those that are attractive bring them in like Combees to honey and you're in the best lighting in house. Call this bar a beacon if you will."

"Hopefully they'll spread the news that I'm mean."

"It just becomes a game. When one guy is turned down, more will try and see if they can outdo him," the blonde man warned her.

Vivienne grimaced, she figured once she paid for her drink and finished it that she would just head back to the bar at her hotel. Her eyes slid around the room once more, a pair of men catching her eye. They were chatting close together near the far left side of the bar, adjacent to the wall. Discreetly one passed a handful of Poke` and something unseen went slid from another.

 _A drug deal?_ She wondered, scrutinizing the one who was being paid. He was garbed in dark clothing, nothing exceptionally striking about him. _Just a seller, not the actual dealer. This city isn't lively enough, the other man is likely just a tourist looking for a little high while here._

Vivienne drained the rest of her drink and placed the money she owed on the counter. She gave the stranger she had spoken with a smile and nod of the head before skirting her way around and toward the exit. The music was already getting to her head, a pounding sensation in her temple that the alcohol she had didn't mask.

"Darling, you're leaving now?" someone had followed her toward the door.

When she turned, she found a brute of a man approaching her. She glanced around to make certain that he was speaking to her before her brows furrowed. "Yes…" she drawled,

"That's no fun, I heard you turned down my brotha, but what about me? I could show you a good time."

"Then I'll tell you what I told your 'brotha', no thank you," she retorted, whirling for the door again.

"Perhaps you'll change your mind after a dance?" the man suggested, catching her arm.

Vivienne was already reaching into her clutch for Magnar's poke'ball.

* * *

1000 Poke` a night for a small room! Pelipper Hotel was certainly no joke, but fortunately for Liam, he had the department's spending card. Any funds he needed would be on the credit card, though he had been told not to use it carelessly. Greyson had taken a nap and followed it up with a shower, only glancing at his Poke'Nav once he had drying his hair.

 _Damn, she's already at a club?_ He thought. He hadn't taken the doctor for much of a partier, especially since she pushed away anyone trying flirt with her. Images of her dancing definitely assisted Liam in putting his clothes on faster, nearly tripping over his pants onto the floor. Bjorn snickered at him, his fluffy butt taking up the majority of the room.

On the streets, tourists were already bumbling around drunk. Most of the bars were toward the front of the city, the clubs were on the outskirts to keep the noise to a minimum. A crowd had collected outside of the club Vivienne told him she was at. For a moment, he thought it was just a line, but realized it was a battle by the people cheering and gasping at the fight.

 _It's not even late and people already have gotten in brawling? Cue the illegal gambling too, I suppose,_ he thought, crossing his arms as he went to get a glimpse of the action. He dropped his arms when he saw Magnar on the field, a Larion passed out in front of him.

Vivienne stood behind him, her arms crossed, her hair falling in long loose curls. She wore a dress that in the club lights would have shimmered, but on the street obviously was too fine to be worn to a club. With makeup on, she appeared more her age, rather than the pretty young lady he'd met in the food shack.

The man opposing her scrambled for another poke'ball once he realized that Larion wasn't going to recover from the attack.

However, Vivienne drew Magnar back and turned her back on the man. "We're leaving, this battle is over," she told her partner, leaving the man and a few others gaping that she had left a battle.

"You can't do that! You can't just leave a battle!" he yelled at her.

"I can and I am. Would you like me to black out all of your pokemon? Save them the pain and leave me alone. I don't have to follow your rules, I'm not a pokemon trainer," she retorted, Magnar parting the crowd for her.

Liam hadn't witnessed the battle, but they balked from the Pyroar, afraid to get too close to him. While stalking away, she took notice of him, and fled toward him.

"What just happened?" he asked her, but she directed him away from the crowd, unwilling to speak until they were far enough away.

"I was trying to leave the club and he got touchy, so I put Magnar between us and that started a battle," she shrugged, rubbing her left forearm.

"For not being a trainer, you wiped the floor with his pokemon."

"Magnar did, not me. I can't take credit for his skill, I didn't order him."

Liam imagined a battle occurring where one trainer was just completely silent. No wonder the onlookers had just moved for Magnar, they were intimidated by his prowess.

"You could have waited for me…" he was going to scold her, but cut himself off when he saw the expression on her face. She continued to wring one arm and her shoulders were slightly slumped. "Why don't we go back to the bar at the hotel?"

The majority of the walk back to the hotel was in silence. Liam's doubts surfaced again about his department's interest in Vivienne. From his observations, nothing about her really stuck up to him as threatening of suspicious. Maybe she was under Witness Protection and the department would go under fire for bothering her. She certainly was a little disconnected from how cruel society could be and that her status was easily discerned by the clothing she chose to wear.

Inside the hotel bar, Liam knew that drinks would be incredibly overpriced. A piano player cast out smooth jazz, people chatting complacently to their companions as they enjoyed the atmosphere. He would have never chosen a place like this for himself, but when he chose a high table with Viv, he wondered why he had never bothered with the upscale placed in Lilycove. Even Bjorn and Magnar were allowed to curl up by their feet, other people had their pokemon on their laps or sitting nearby, each quiet and rewarded with the bar's signature pokemon drink of freshly juiced berries on ice.

While the lights were dimmed, he could still clearly see Viv. The arm that she had been touching had purpled, a hand mark, reminding him of some of the domestic abuse cases he had handled in his earlier years.

"Are you alright?" he gestured to her arm and she immediately dropped it beneath the table.

"Yes, I'm fine," she motioned for the bartender to come over, picking up the drink menu. "Can I have a Boulevardier, please?"

"Just vodka club soda for me," Liam told the bartender before turning his attention back to her. "Do you want to talk about what happened in there?"

She gave him an obstinate look. "I already told you what happened."

When it came to comforting those in the station, he had always found the right words to regurgitate to them. But when faced by the enigma he was reporting back to his superiors about, he was at a loss of what she wanted to hear. Despite putting on a strong face, there were other emotions that she wasn't bringing to the surface. Was it due to her childhood? Growing up with a father who sheltered you and kept you away from the men he worked with… Was this her first journey on her own?

"Have you traveled on your own before?" he asked.

"Back home, yes, but not abroad. Even then, until I got my own job my family always monitored where I went," she grumbled.

"Are you close to your family?" he didn't know if it were a bold question or if he'd give himself away by asking, but she had set him up perfectly

Vivienne scoffed, lifting her drink, draining it completely. Family was a sore point for her. "No, quite the opposite actually. We had a bit of a falling out after I graduated, but I'd rather not get into it."

Falling out? Had she not worked as a private doctor for her father? "No, I understand that too."

"I'm going to turn in for the night. I wanted to hit the market in the morning after a run. Then we can continue toward Mauville," Viv told him, paying for her drink and leaving.

The piano music ended once she left, leaving Liam with Bjorn. He headed to the bar and ordered a beer, an older gentleman taking a seat beside him.

"Gin and tonic for me, Louis," the older man said, casting a glance over at Liam. "You were with that pretty woman, right?"

"I would say accompanying, not with," Liam told him glumly.

The gentleman chuckled at him. "I'll let you on something I noticed. She's got a lot of memories in those eyes."

"What do you mean by that?"

"She's seen a lot, usually the prettiest ones come with baggage. She's not going to let you in until you find out what those memories are," he finished the small glass of gin and tonic and stretched. "Good luck."

What did he mean? Liam knew what his mission was, but his gut didn't agree with the directions he had been given. A good officer relied on their gut and at this point, Liam highly doubted she had anything to do with Team Rocket.

 _It doesn't matter, you have to figure out the facts before you start empathizing with her,_ he told himself, retreating to his room for make his call out to the command team and report the occurrences of the day.


	4. Chapter 4

_I can't believe how stupid I was last night. Not to mention that I nearly started blabbing after two drinks_ , Vivienne thought tartly as she headed into the market with Magnar. She had been glad that Liam hadn't pestered her about it, seeing that it wasn't his place. They barely knew each other, but that incident on the beach had made her wonder. Her suspicions leaned toward police officer, but he wasn't as overbearing and none of the officers in Slateport recognized him.

Whoever he was, perhaps he was just taking some time off and their meeting had just been by chance. Law enforcement or no, it didn't change anything for her.

Slateport's outdoor marketplace had been inside the flight brochure as a place you had to visit. When they approached the bazaar, she could see why.

Handmade soaps, toys, bolts of fabric, herbal medicine, fresh food, milk, and other pokemon products. The aroma emitting from the plethora of wares brought to inspect the varieties. She bought Magnar and her other pokemon handmade biscuit treats, purchasing an additional one for Bjorn. Despite his lax owner, the mass of fur was a big bundle of love and friendliness. Vivienne didn't mean to buy as much as she was, but when a bauble caught her eyes, she quickly flitted over to it to find out how much and decide on whether she could carry it or not.

A kimono stand had garnered her attention, an elderly woman explaining each of the prints to her, as she had assigned meaning to specific shapes, colors, and patterns.

"You know, there is going to be a festival up in Lavaridge Town in a couple weeks. Everyone woman wears a kimono, it is tradition. You look like you're traveling, perhaps I can interest you in one of these? The lavender with hints of sage green would go beautifully with your hair," the crone pulled the pearl white based fabric out, lavender flowers were patterned on it with sage green leaves, a dark sage sash to go around it.

Vivienne had never worn a kimono and hadn't the slightest idea of how to wrap it properly. Her father's family was from a different culture. "Could you show me how to put it on? I'm afraid I've never worn one before."

"Of course! Of course!" the old woman brought her behind the stand and showed her a handful of times how to put it on and wrap it. All kimonos were the same size and were wrapped the same, which meant the one wearing it would be the one responsible for wrapping it perfectly to fit their form. "For not wearing a kimono, you learn quite fast."

Vivienne chuckled, folding the kimono up and placing it on the counter. "I've always been told I'm a faster learner."

"Do you wish to take it? It looked so lovely on you, the purple brought out your eyes."

"Yes, I'll take it. I should be up in Lavaridge with plenty time to spare before the festival if it's in two weeks."

"Which way are you going?" the woman asked as she began wrapping the gown in brown parcel paper.

"Through Mauville?" she said uncertainly.

The woman clicked at her and shook her head "Oh no, the bike path and roads to Mauville are under construction. The only way there is the long loop around past Oldale and Petalburg City, a temporary bridge had been put up so people can make their way that way."

"What happened over there that's caused such a large block?" she asked curiously.

"News says that there was an explosion over there on the bike path, collapsed it down into the walking strip beneath it and killed a few people, not to mention what pokemon lived in that area. It's been deemed unsafe for anyone to take that way for now and that's why the detour bridge was put up."

"How unfortunate..." Viv sighed, more sad that she now wouldn't be able to get to Mauville as swiftly as she had hoped. It would have only taken a day from Slateport to walk there, but with this news it was going to possibly take weeks.

"You look like you're a strong young lady. Up past Rustboro there's a path that goes right through a tunnel, pops you out by a small town, but I've heard that's in disrepair too. I'd trust the long way, which isn't too long. Took me a little over a week to make the full loop when I was in my prime and the tunnel hadn't been created yet. You get to see a lot of the countryside too. Mauville City isn't much but dangerous these days, but the other towns are certainly more traveler friendly."

"Thanks for the heads up, I would have walked straight into that barricade and been very disappointed. How much do I owe you for the kimono?" Vivienne asked politely, smiling at her.

"I'll throw in the sandals and socks for free too, so the tally comes to 80,000 Poke."

The woman smiled so kindly, but the one Viv had on her face nearly vanished. Designer clothing was more expensive than that, but not by much. And yet, Vivienne still paid for it without faltering, tucking the parcel away to be utilized once they arrived for the Lavaridge festival.

 _I hope that it's worth 80,000 Poke,_ she thought grudgingly, stopping by a tea stand to grab herself some bubble tea.

"Hey, how's your morning so far?" Liam appeared from seemingly nowhere, which he had a habit of doing by now.

Viv checked her watch and raised an eyebrow at him. "It's nearly lunch... but good. Unfortunately, I found out that the road to Mauville City is blocked and the only way to get there is to go the long way around."

"Oh yeah, that's right," he muttered, rubbing his jaw. "Well, you're here researching berries, that long loop with certainly bring us through some prime berry picking land."

She hadn't forgotten that was here excuse for being in Hoenn, but it sounded stupider when he repeated it. "Do you know how to go around that way?"

"Of course I do, you just follow a road."

"Hm, if it's that easy I don't see why you're needed then."

"As a man shield if I remember correctly."

"Worked out really well last night," she retorted glibly.

"You could have waited for me," he reminded her delicately before changing the subject. "I hope you didn't buy anything in the market, it's extremely overpriced."

Vivienne didn't reward him with an answer, but she was aware of that after purchasing her kimono. "I bought some freshly made biscuits for my pokemon. I got one for Bjorn too, if that's alright?"

"You got one for Bjorn?" he glanced over at the Arcanine who had already begun salivating. "I have to warn you that once you give him a treat, he won't leave you alone."

"That's fine," Vivienne reached into her satchel to retrieve the treat. Magnar closed in on her when the paper bag began rustling. "You already got yours, chubbers."

Approaching Bjorn, she offered him the biscuit. The canine was salivating so much that it was dripping onto the ground. He politely waited until Vivienne told him he could have it, gobbling it up, careful not to hurt the treat giver. He then proceeded to lick her fingers clean and thanked her graciously by following up with her face. Magnar became slightly protective at that point, only drawing back when he heard Viv's giggling.

She dug her fingers into his thick, cream colored mane and scratched him. Bjorn leaned forward, pressing his massive head against her chest as she pet him, letting out little noises of pleasure as she pet him.

"How did you do that? Are you some kind of pokemon whisperer? You've turned my ferocious partner into a puddle of fur."

"Large pokemon that bear loads, such as people, often had tight muscles in their neck and shoulders," she informed him, releasing Bjorn from her grip. She wiped off some of the excess drool from her shirt.

"So it was a massage? My shoulders have been hurting a bit, I could use one as well. Purely for medical reasons, of course," Liam grinned, reaching over to rub one of his shoulders.

Vivienne couldn't tell if he was pretending or not, but either way, she scoffed at him. "Well, if you're done in Slateport, we can make our way to Oldale before sundown."

"Yeah, I've got nothing else to do here," he shrugged.

The group made their way out of the city, the line breaking into a warm, tropical forest. They met a few trainers along the way that insisted being battled, forcing Liam to succumb to their desires. The bike path's entrance had a sign hanging on it, depicting that it would be closed until further notice. A good portion of the grass was tall, trees hiding the sun until mid-noon where it beat down on them relentlessly.

At the fork between the route to Mauville and the detour, a young man came careening around the corner and crashed into Magnar.

"Woah! Woah there, watch where you're going!" Liam shouted as Vivienne grabbed a hold of Magnar to keep him from lashing out.

"I-I-I-" he stammered, taking a step back to regard them. His lip was busted, eye swollen and blackening, brow bleeding.

"Are you alright?" Vivienne asked him, holding onto Magnar who was beginning to settle down.

The kid was probably 14 or 15 years old, messy auburn hair, and was dressed like a trainer. He blinked back tears. "Some guys beat me up and took my pokemon after I lost a battle against them. They were trying to tax the bridge. I need to get police! They have my pokemon!"

"Hey now, slow down. Are you injured anywhere else?" she asked him.

"It doesn't matter! I need my pokemon, I need them-"

"Kid, shut it. We'll help you out, just talk to her. She's a doctor," Liam ordered.

Dropping his eyes to the floor, he nodded slowly. Vivienne guided him over to a boulder where he could sit, retrieving a medical kit she had in one of her saddle bags. She released a few new pokemon, a small Alolan Vulpix and a Brionne.

Viv first washed her hands, Brionne supplying water that was somewhere in between a normal water gun and scald. She took cotton swabs and alcohol and cleaned up the young man's face, using small bits of tape to close up his wounds on his brow.

"What's your name?" she asked him, cleaning up his lip.

"Jacob," he winced in pain from the sting of the alcohol.

"What happened exactly?" Liam asked, observing from a distance, letting the doctor do her work.

"I was just trying to head to Oldale to make a loop around to Mauville City when a pair of thugs in matching red outfits stopped me. Told me that I had to pay a tax, either Poke or one of my pokemon. I refused, since they were asking for a lot of money... And they battled me, beat my pokemon, and then when I refused again they..." he trailed off, dropping his eyes.

Red outfits? Vivienne glanced back at Liam, wondering if he was thinking that Team Magma might have been behind this escapade. There had been a point in time where an unknown trainer had dissolved both gangs back when they were trying to resurrect primal pokemon. Team Aqua remained dissolved. Vivienne remembered meeting Archie when she was little, he had been the nicest of any of the gang leaders. From what she knew about him, he wasn't in it for the drugs or money, he had truly thought bring Kyogre would be the beginning of a better world.

What was worse, the delusions of a man wishing for Utopia or a man who did everything for money and personal gain?

Her father was likely funding Maxie, bringing Team Magma out of the shadows and back onto the streets.

Vivienne turned and picked up her Vulpix. "Hold Tinsel, she'll help put some ice on your eye to take the swelling down," she directed.

Jacob took the pokemon, holding the small fluffy creature close to him. Tinsel acted as both comfort and an ice pack, nosing his swollen eye before huffing out a cold breath. Cradling the pokemon close, he pressed his face into her fur, and sat on the stone while Vivienne approached Liam, removing her latex gloves.

"Sounds like Team Magma," Liam grumbled in a low voice between them.

"We have to deal with them, who know who else they beat and stole from. There's a pokemon professor south of Oldale, right? If we find any additional pokemon, the professor should be able to find out who they belong to and return them, no?"

"I wonder how strong they are, that kid has to have a few badges under his belt. Grunts aren't usually that strong, especially those put on bridge toll duty."

Vivienne pursed her lips. In Kanto, a formula to make pokemon stronger had been in the works. The injections were like steroids, but tenfold in power. However, years ago it had still been in clinical trials because of how unpredictable the pokemon became. They were too aggressive and even the best trainers couldn't keep them in check. She had been hoping to get her hands on some of the serum so she could work on an antidote or anti-serum to reverse the effects.

"I've got my own suspicions on how, but we'll have to see for ourselves," Viv told him, glancing back at the trainer. "Hey Jacob, we're gonna get moving. Why don't you lead the way?"

Vivienne returned Periwinkle, the Brionne, back to her poke'ball. Jacob stood up, holding Tinsel close to him. The Vulpix continued to touch back to his eye, which had already reduced significantly in swelling. Flanking the young man, she stayed close to him, for comfort's sake. She knew what it was like to nearly lose a pokemon, she could only fathom the emotions that were rushing through him.

It took them about twenty minutes before the trees cleared out and a running river sprawled out before them. At first, no one appeared to be guarding bridge until they drew closer, a pair of figures materializing from behind some trees.

* * *

Liam could remember the days when Team Aqua and Magma had both been forces to reckon with. In his youth, he had been pestered by them along the road, but they'd never done more than demanded a battle, which they often lost. Now they were getting handsy, beating up a trainer after he'd lost and stealing his pokemon. He knew that Magma was back on the streets, but he didn't expect it this close to Slateport, a city without any of their influence.

When the two grunts closed in behind them, Bjorn let out a low, rumbling growl.

"Well, what have we here? It'll be 20,000 Poke a person to cross this bridge, plus an additional 5,000 Poke per pokemon," one of them said.

"And who are you? You don't look like you work for the government, why would they hire two Team Magma grunts to collect a toll?" Liam asked them as they circled round, blocking the path to the bridge.

"We've got to make an honest living too. This is how we reform ourselves, helping pay for the construction going on over by Mauville," a grunt shrugged.

"Honest living? You call beating up a trainer and taking his pokemon, honest?" Vivienne questioned sharply.

The Magma grunts glanced at the boy holding the Vulpix. "Oh, this kid again... You see, what happened was..."

"-He didn't have the money so we told him to beat us in a battle. Couldn't do that much, so he came at us, fists flying. We confiscated his pokemon and defended ourselves. Nothing more than that. We were gonna give the police his pokemon once we turned in the tax money," the other filled in nonchalantly.

"Y-yeah! That's what happened. So what're you gonna do, pay up right? You all look like you've got the money to spare."

Liam was going to speak, but Vivienne sauntered up to the both of them. She was reaching into her satchel.

 _Is she really going to give them money?_ he wondered.

"I'm so sorry that he caused trouble. Which one of you did he come after?" she continued to dig through her bag.

"I did," the stout one confessed, grinning to himself as if he'd be rewarded more.

Oh, he was rewarded, but not with money. Vivienne's fist flew from her bag, a solid right hook, catching him between his nose and mouth. From Liam's angle, the form was absolutely perfect, blood spouting from his mouth and nose, dripping down his chin like a river of red.

"For being attacked by a young man, you're surprisingly unscathed. I figured I'd change that," she retorted, flexing her fingers. Magnar closed in the distance, the other grunt was about to react, but reconsidered when the feline snarled at him, lips curling to reveal needle-like teeth.

"What the fuck! I think she broke my nose! What're you doing! Attack her!" he covered his nose, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"I didn't break your nose," she told him haughtily, glancing at her knuckles disdainfully. "I'm a doctor, I could have broken it in a way that shoved the cartilage into your brain and killed you. It's just a flesh wound. Now, we're going to need this young man's and anyone else's pokemon you've stolen, along with the money you've been 'collecting'. I'd rather keep anymore pokemon from getting harmed, so let's figure this out peacefully. I'll give you your chance to do as I say."

"No man, these aren't normal trainers. Just look at her pokemon, it's definitely pit-bred," the tall one stammered, frightfully looking between her and Magnar.

"Fuck you! Maxie will hear of you being a little bitch. Don't think he rewards people, he's buckled down since the old days. Plus we've got these," the bloody grunt pulled out a pair of poke'balls.

Liam had never seen a ball like those that he held; purple and yellow molted, he threw them, releasing a pair of pokemon. Bjorn darted forward to join Magnar, both of which put themselves between the Magma members and Vivienne. What was released from the balls were monstrosities, both of which were too high of a caste of pokemon for mere grunts to have.

An Altaria and Manectric stood before them, but they were miscolored and grossly out of proportion, various limbs larger than others, bubbled and puckered. Somehow, they had been genetically altered, and misery was plain on their faces as they leered at them with bloody, scarlet eyes. No wonder Jacob hadn't been able to defeat them, these were not normal pokemon.

Vivienne drew an additional poke'ball out, beckoning Magnar back. A Shiinotic emerged, waddling its way toward the pokemon in front of it. The mushroom head glanced up, made a little peeping noise, and glanced back at Vivienne uncertainly. After receiving a reassuring nod, the Shiinotic rounded, raising its tiny arms as it gave a cry of determination.

The battle began, the Altaria making its move first. Dragon breath emitted from its beak, gladly taken by Shiinotic who absorbed it and gave a merry cry, taunting the Altaria with a little dance. Bjorn passed overhead, flame building in his chest, unleashing heatwave on both opponents.

Staggering back from the attacks, Manectric countered with thunderbolt. Shiinotic chirped and threw up protect, blocking both he and Bjorn from the attack. Altaria, countering its previous strategy, beat a wing attack in Shiinotic's direction.

Liam was unable to order Bjorn to get there in time and the grass pokemon took the full brunt of it. Nearly certain that Shiinotic had fainted, he was about to send Bjorn in when Vivienne grabbed his arm.

"Draw Bjorn back," she told him.

Shiinotic was clambering back to his feet, the lights on the top of the cap beginning to flicker uncontrollably. "Bjorn, get back!"

Spore was unleashed in a torrent, smacking the opponents full force. Rendered unable to fight, Shiinotic hobbled over and poked each of them, helping himself to the health he had lost from the attack.

Liam crossed the field, approaching the grunts. "So, we'll be taking back the pokemon you've stolen-" he didn't even get to finish his sentence, the duo dropping the bag they had stuffed with their prizes. Retrieving their pokemon, they bolted off in the opposite direction, back down the road toward Slateport City. Bending over, he inspected the contents, finding over a dozen poke'balls and the money they had managed to pocket. "Jacob, why don't you come over here and grab what's yours?"

The pokemon they had fought had certainly been stronger than what grunts usually carried, but they lacked the true strength of a pokemon that had been trained to evolution. Altaria's attack should have KO'd Shiinotic and yet, the strange little guy had managed to get up and put them to sleep.

Jacob collected a few poke'balls and left the majority in the bag. "Thank you, thank you so much," he remained kneeling as he clutched the balls close to his chest. Tinsel let out a little mew beside him, cocking her head at him.

Vivienne drew up behind them. "Hopefully, they know better than to come back here," she commented, eyes set on the path they had fled down. She bent down and picked up Tinsel, stroking the plush white fur.

"Those pokemon..." Liam drawled.

"Definitely forced evolution. They should have been much stronger than that. They appeared to be mutated from the rapid maturation as well," she kissed the top of Tinsel's head, keeping the lower part of her face buried in the pokemon's fur.

Collecting their belonging, the party picked up and moved across the river. The forest thickened around them, daylight fading. Jacob accompanied them, a smile on his face as they traveled. When it became clear they weren't going to make it to Oldale before sun down, they picked a spot off the path to set up camp. With how clear the night was, tents didn't even need to go up.

Jacob retired first, curling up in his sleeping bag with his Seviper. Vivienne had restored his pokemon back to health and he had taken to snuggling with them, elated to be surrounded by the creatures he loved.

"You've got a hell of a right hook," Liam commented, leaning against Bjorn as he sat by the fire.

"He was so pleased with himself, as if beating up some kid was something to be proud of," she grumbled, flexing her hand as if she were recalling punching him.

"Where'd you learn to fight like that?" he asked her.

"Nowhere," she mumbled, not looking up at him as she spoke.

 _She's lying. Avoiding eye contact as well. I bet she knows how to do more than land a solid punch. Her athleticism, the scars on her body..._ he thought, but simply shrugged. "Pretty good hook, I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that."

"Don't cross me then," she told him sweetly, dropping her hands into her lap. "How are your shoulders faring? I know you mentioned it earlier."

"A bit stiff still, but don't worry about it-"

Getting up, she plopped down behind him. "Don't worry about it? I'm a doctor and I help people."

"And punch others in the face," he reminded her as she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"When they deserve it," she sighed, her fingers digging into the tense muscles.

Liam relaxed, the years of tension bundled up in his shoulders that he tended to clench. Just thinking about where the tension came from reminded him of his job and that the woman behind him was supposedly working with Team Rocket. Why would she had beaten the grunts? Had she guessed his identity and was playing along to fool him?

"Yee-OUCH!" Liam cried, trying to turn, but Viv had some sort of nerve pinched and he was unable to contort. "What are you-"

"These muscles are so badly balled, I have to get real deep in there. Stop wriggling, the faster I do this, the less pain," he could hear her trying to mask her laughter, each cry of pain reflected by a snicker. "I swear, it will feel better after!"

After, Liam's shoulders just felt raw and sore. Vivienne returned to her seat by the fire and smiled at him. He couldn't exactly tell her that he had expected the massage to be more sensual, but with the mischief in her eyes, it seemed she knew what he had been hoping.

"I'm going to sleep," he told her grumpily. "My shoulders better feel good in the morning."

"And if they don't?" she challenged lightly.

"I'll..." he broke off, trying to think of what he would do. "You'll regret it."

* * *

 **Additional content: Thanks so much for reading everyone. Below I've linked a pin board for the fandom. Feel free to check it out or leave it here. More images will be added as the story progresses.**

 **You can find the board on Pinterest by adding "/noralesong/medcom" to the end of the Pinterest URL.**


	5. Chapter 5

Greyson didn't wake up to the sun in his face or Bjorn licking it, instead a welcoming aroma of food being cooked over the fire stirred him from his slumber. He had bundled up in his sleeping bag beside Bjorn for the night, unzipping it to see Jacob crouched over the fire, preparing some food over a cast iron pan, an aluminum kettle smelling strangely of coffee. The kid gave him a goofy smile, his face looked a lot better than it had before.

"Where did Viv go?" he asked groggily, stretching. He paused mid-stretch, noticing that the tension in his shoulders was gone. _You wicked woman, I thought you were purposely inflicting pain on me,_ he couldn't help but smile stupidly to himself, confusing the hell out of the kid who was flipping some eggs.

"She went on a morning run about 15 minutes ago, she should be back any minute," Jacob told him. "I thought I could at least make you all breakfast, it doesn't even come close to what you guys gave back to me."

The kid's Seviper flicked his tongue out, basking by the warmth of the fire.

Rubbing his jaw, Liam groaned as he pushed himself to his feet. "Don't beat yourself too much over it. It's called 'doing the right thing'. Do what you can to help others when you can," he told him, patting Jacob on his shoulder before taking his hygiene bag with him to a nearby stream to clean up his face.

Taillows chirped in the trees, Wurmples inched around, he even spotted a Beautifly flutter by. He had missed the easy beauty of nature, having been cooped up in Lilycove for years now. His work had rarely taken him outside of it and when he did leave, it was just to go to a meeting in another city. Kneeling by the stream, he splashed water against his face, closing his eyes to drink in the sounds.

The brook trickled by murmuring like monks in prayer, wind whispering in his ears, muttering sweet nothings. Liam lathered his face up and began shaving away the day's worth of stubble he had accumulated. He was enjoying his solitude when soft padding drew his attention.

Vivienne was on the opposite side of the stream, dressed in running clothing, a pair of black leggings, sneakers, and a loose tank top. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, Magnar quick on her heels as she paused. She plucked a headphone from her ear.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty. I was wondering when you were going to wake up," she remarked, giving him a wry smirk.

"Just because you can't sleep in doesn't mind I don't need or like my beauty rest," he grumbled, dragging the razor down his face.

"Ooh, someone is cranky this morning," she chuckled, taking a few steps back before she charged the stream and leapt over it gracefully like an Absol.

Liam nearly slipped with his razor when she landed neatly beside him. "Arceus! Are you trying to make me slit my throat?"

"You can't slit with throat with that. Give yourself a nasty razor burn, yes, but not slit your throat," she told him cheerfully.

"Morning person, huh?" he continued shaving his face, leaning down to wash the remaining cream away. He used some additional water to dampen his hair to get rid of his awful bed head.

"And resident smart ass. I think Jacob was cooking some food, might want to head back soon if you don't want Bjorn to eat your portion," Viv told him, starting back for the campsite.

Liam watched as she went, unable to stop himself from looking at her butt. _Whoever created those pants… Thank you._

Once he finished getting ready, he returned to find that the food was done being prepared. Gratefully, he accepted a plate and enjoyed some eggs and potatoes. He didn't question where the eggs came from, but he doubted that the kid had carried them with him. Perhaps his Seviper had found them nearby, but either way, breakfast was breakfast. The coffee was the most rewarding part of breakfast, even though they were instant grinds, Liam was happy to have a hot cup in his hands. It turned his sluggish morning around, allowing him to function properly.

Bjorn buried the fire pit and they continued for Oldale.

"Are you working on collecting your badges?" Vivienne asked Jacob, sparking conversation among them.

"Yeah, I've got a couple of badges. I went around to Slateport hoping that the bike path would be open by the time I made it around, but it seems they're in no hurry to finish it despite the problems it's causing people who can't just fly there," Jacob said.

 _I wonder if Team Magma is stalling the construction. The kid's right, the construction started over a month ago,_ Liam contemplated silently. Then again, Mauville City wasn't known for being on top of theis hit. There was so much going on that the last thing most of the city worried about was an easy route to the city from the western portion of the country. Most traffic came from the western end and that route wasn't blocked as far as he knew.

"Aside from yesterday, are you enjoying your journey?" Viv continued.

"It's a bit different from what I thought it'd be. My dad said that he went on his journey when he was 10, but I had to wait until I was 14. Now I wonder if I should have waited even longer. It was pure luck that I ran into the two of you," he glanced between them. "Where are you two headed? Are you trainers too?"

"I'm traveling for some research, Liam is my guide since I'm not from Hoenn. He's a trainer," she eyed him, hoping to pull him into the conversation with the boy.

"I'm sort of retired, I'm an old man, can't you tell?" Liam retorted.

"No, you guys are really strong. Are you sure you're not trainers? I bet you could challenge the Elite Four if you had all the badges."

"Nope, just traveling," Liam shot down, hands in his pockets.

"Are you two… like together?" Jacob inquired.

Before Liam even had the chance to respond, Vivienne deadpanned, "No." While he was still recuperating from the sting, she continued. "We just met a couple of days ago. It's a lot safer to travel in numbers. I might suggest you find some trainers who are also embarking on the same journey. We're passing through Oldale Town, there are bound to be others who have just gotten their starters."

"Oh, the way that you talk to each other, I just assumed…" he said bashfully, glancing at ground. "Yeah, I think after this I'll have to make some friends. As much as I liked going on my own with my pokemon, what happened yesterday was awful… Are you guys not going through all the towns?"

"Not in the appropriate order that would work best for a trainer collecting badges. We have to head down to Littleroot too for some business," Liam reminded, the poke'balls would all need to be returned to their respective trainers.

"Well, I bet we'll meet up again. You two should be able to make it to Littleroot before the end of the day," Jacob told them.

The group made it to Oldale Town before lunch, dropping Jacob off at the Pokemon Center before continuing south down a forested path.

"Do you think Professor Birch will know anything about what we saw?" Liam wondered out loud.

Vivienne shrugged. "He could, I've seen something similar to that, but not quite the same… I wonder if it's from the same strain or if it's new."

"What do you mean?"

"There was a strain, a 'serum', going around Kanto that mutated pokemon, making them much stronger. However, this appeared as if it were something that matured pokemon swifter, with obvious drawbacks, one being lacking true strength. They must have just been testers, the higher ups wouldn't be using that strain until it was perfected," she speculated, tapping her bottom lip with her index finger.

"You certainly know a lot about the subject," he commented.

Vivienne's finger froze mid-tap, her eyes sliding over toward him. "I'm a woman of science, of course drugs that negatively impact the lives of pokemon would be an area of research for me."

"Is that why you're here? Instead of that berry research story?" he continued.

Her eyes narrowed at him. Was that suspicion? "And what about you? You're obviously an established man, when did you decide to just throw it all away and go 'soul searching'? No, you don't strike me as that sort of type. You're also out here for your own reasons, reasons we chose not to share with each other," she countered, her tone growing thin.

 _She knows, she knows I'm not just a pokemon trainer or some blue collar office worker,_ he thought, wondering when she had gleaned it. The department had set him up with a genius, did they really expect her not to figure out that he was a fed? It had been so easy to just be himself around her and yet, her charm had been his undoing. _She has her suspicions, but I don't have to say it just yet. I just need confirmation that she's not one of them, that she hadn't figured me out from day one and has been pretending to be someone she's not._

"I don't know you," she added eventually. "You think with just two days passed I'm going to open up to you? You're going to have to try harder than that."

"I can respect that. Whatever reasons the both of us are out here, it seems like we've got a similar mindset… You know, I started my first pokemon journey by running away from home? I always hated it there, my mom and step dad were always arguing, anytime I tried to get in between them… well, let's just say that I've been on the receiving side of punches like Jacob. Unable to do anything but take it. So I left home and swore that I'd be stronger than him, return home and help my mom. I did return one day, but she didn't want my help. Didn't even feel good to outmatch him, the look on her face when I knocked him on his ass. As if _I_ were the monster."

"Most domestic abuse victims don't think anything is wrong," Vivienne said gently. "My mother always believed that my father had the best intentions for the family. 'La Mia Famiglia' he'd say, always claiming that family was that the top of his list in precedence. It wasn't, but sometimes the abusers can convince you it is. If my father is anything, it's a smooth talker."

 _Why is it not surprising that Giovanni was a domestic abuser?_ "Hm, he's got that on my step father. He wasn't the brightest, just provided for the family after my biological father left the picture."

Littleroot poked out from behind some trees, a rural town with buildings spaced a part. There was no Pokemon Center, but if Liam recalled correctly, there was an inn that could host the weary young travelers who made their way to the professor for their starter pokemon.

"If you want to reserve a couple of rooms at the inn, I'll meet you at the lab?" Liam suggested.

"Fair enough, I wanted to freshen up a bit first. Have you got the poke'balls with you?"

He held up the bag as proof and they parted ways.

It may have been a small exchange, but he had gleaned a moment of Vivienne's family dynamic. Twice now she had denounced her family, recognizing that they weren't good people. Could it all be a ruse? Was she saying what he wanted to hear or did she truly have no affiliation with Team Rocket? He had to do more investigating, perhaps Birch would know of her.

A long time ago, Liam had made his way to Littleroot to begin his journey. Those days had been simpler, kinder, and the roads safer decide the double threat of gangs. Nothing around him had changed, capture in its own little time capsule. Children might have often traveled to Littleroot, but other than that, it was a rural town. The lab also had not changed aside from some newer technology and computer stacks.

He found Birch in the back, his hair with streaks of gray. Liam recalled when the professor had been young and just starting his occupation in Hoenn. How long ago was that? Nearly two decades ago?

"Detective Greyson?" Professor Birch stared at him from his desk, cocking his head to the side.

"Just Liam Greyson, I'm undercover currently," he glanced around, none of the other scientists were nearby. Daylight was fleeting and it would seem that most had turned in.

"Undercover? Ah, this couldn't have just been a surprise visit, hm? What is it you're looking to find out?"

"I actually came here to drop these off," Liam placed the bag full of mystery balls in front of him. "My companion and I got these off of two Magma grunts, we thought you would be able to find their proper trainers."

Birch reached forward and thumbed some of them. "They managed to steal _all_ of these?" he shook his head. "Things have been getting worse and worse and so close to here too."

"I know… we're working on it," Greyson insisted.

"That's all your officers seem to do. Work, work, work, and nothing appears to get done. What about the days when you defeat Team Magma and Aqua? Those days you had done it single handedly and now you're saying that justice takes time?"

"They weren't using guns or trafficking drugs back when I was a trainer. Not to mention, a vigilante is not what we need on the streets. Justice takes time."

"Too much time. I know it's not your fault, but it's hit too close to home for comfort. It's only a matter of time before even here is not safe. You know in Kanto and Johto they're implementing military forces against Team Rocket?"

"Something we hope we will not need to do. Will you be able to find the trainers to return these to?" he motioned to the poke'balls.

"I should be able to… You said you were undercover?"

"I can't delve too deep into the details of it, but I was wondering if you knew anything about Giovanni's daughter, Vivienne. She's a doctor, I thought you might have come across some of her research."

"As in Team Rocket's… I've read some of her research, but I don't know too much about her. What I do know is that Professor Oak trusts her and I trust his judgement. Why? What do you have to do with her?"

"I'm traveling with her, I just hoped to gain some insight, whether or not she's trustworthy. My department seems to think that she had something to do with the Team Rocket activity here."

"I doubt it… You've always been a good judge of character, do you really think she's with them?"

"No, that's just it professor. I don't, but I keep second guessing myself. She is definitely not _just_ a doctor. I've seen bullet scars, she knows how to fight, but every time she's given the chance to show her character, it's been to benefit others."

"And it's not entirely possible that she's a good person and no longer has ties to her family?" Birch inquired.

"I won't know until Kanto gets back to us about what has happened in the last four years of her life."

"You could ask."

"She doesn't know that I know who she is, I'm supposed to be undercover."

"And if you don't believe she's with Team Rocket, what do you have to lose by asking?"

Liam didn't answer, he didn't know what he would lose. Would he lose anything? Would she even give him a straight answer? They might have similar goals, talking might mean teaming up. Talking might also mean he threw away all leverage. With only a few days into accompanying her, he wasn't deep enough undercover that he trusted her entirely. He wanted to, he desperately wanted to put his faith in her, but he had been betrayed before by a pretty face and that had gotten him to where he was now. Unable to do more than just have a one night stand with a woman, afraid to trust her, just to have her rip his heart out again.

* * *

Viv found a traditional inn, just as Liam had said. It reminded her of some of those she had stayed at in Johto, the owners dressed in plain kimonos, rooms divided by paper walls and doors. She had meant to have a bath, but when she discovered that the owners would have to draw it up themselves, she told them she'd be return in a bit and not to hurry themselves. Dropping off the majority of her equipment, she appeared at the lab probably a handful of minutes after Liam.

She was glancing around at the equipment, pausing behind a bookshelf when she heard two men talking.

"No, that's just it professor. I don't, but I keep second guessing myself. She is definitely not _just_ a doctor. I've seen bullet scars, she knows how to fight, but every time she's given the chance to show her character, it's been to benefit others," she identified the voice as Liam. Leaning against the shelf, she continued the listen, wondering what she had stumbled in upon.

They were talking about her and Liam was definitely a fed. That had been the reason she agreed to travel with him, she could see that he was a good person, one who lived by principles and not the green. Just as she was able to glimpse back into his life by his trainer ID, he also been attempting to find out what she had been up to in her more recent years. Vivienne closed her eyes, recollecting her occupation, the rough years she had, the sleepless nights she now had, the bloodshed, the gunfire, and the cruelty of it all. The world was a terrible place, what it was now and was becoming, and people like er had to try and save it even if it meant losing yourself within the war.

Vivienne flexed her fingers, she had them poised as if she were holding her rifle again, the position felt so natural. Now that she was in civilian life, now that she was trying to seem like a doctor… It was hard to fit in, it was a culture shock, and she couldn't shake the worst memories away. Whoever he thought she was, he probably couldn't even scratch the surface. She didn't care if he knew her blood family, her true brothers and sisters were the ones forged in war, fighting by her side, those she patched up and defended… and those she had to watch be laid to rest in graves with their pokemon.

Could she trust him with the knowledge of her occupation? She didn't even know if he was allowed to tell him, her command might scold her for betraying secret information. For now, she had to play it as she had been, until she couldn't avoid the subject anymore. Vivienne had heard him say 'undercover', but that could mean a multitude of things undercover cop, undercover spy, undercover mercenary…

 _I need to go out there, I can't keep eavesdropping._ "Hullo?" she made it sound as if she were just entering. The conversation dropped off and she popped out from behind the bookcase. Her eyes set on the professor. "You must be Professor Birch, I've heard a lot about you from Professor Oak."

Professor Birch came around to shake her head. "Likewise, Professor Oak had made several mentions about your preference in using pokemon to assist in medical affairs rather than technology."

"Pokemon can move with you, a hospital cannot. I'd like there to be more traveling doctor who follow my thesis, but I'm stilling adding to my research. Of course, there are things I cannot treat on the road."

"Your thinking is truly that convenience, I also hope that traveling pokemon doctors do start cropping up more. But I'm afraid it'll take time and safer roads before more train their pokemon to be apt enough and feel comfortable enough to go out. Are you in Hoenn testing your theories?"

"No, here for some other research, I'm afraid, but this does add more to that as well. However, I do have some trouble things I'd like to talk to you about. Liam and I encountered two Magma grunts on the road," she glanced at him, he had the same plain expression on his face. There was no suspicion, he didn't believe she'd heard any of the conversation.

"Yes, Liam had mentioned that to me. You retrieved these poke'balls too?" he motioned to the bag.

"Mm, but the pokemon they had with them… Had Oak ever mentioned Hyperoid to you?"

The welcoming face that Birch had vanished in a moment. "Yes, the performance enhancing drug for pokemon? It mutates them to make them stronger, but also increases how aggressive they are and makes them more difficult to give orders to. That is the one, correct? Please tell me you did not encounter it here."

"We did not, but something that reminded me of it. These pokemon were… mutated in a way, their coloring off, skin molted, and eyes bloodshot. They also appeared to be forcibly evolved, as their strength did not reflect their final evolution," she explained.

Birch rubbed his jaw, shaking his head. "I have not heard of that. That is… unsettling, but I wish I had a specimen to observe and see if the effects could be mitigated or reversed."

"If we manage to obtain one, we'll send it to you. I have a feeling we may encounter more like it, but from what I thought, it must still be in trials. Two lowly grunts had these pokemon, not officers in the gang," Liam told him, nodding slowly.

"Where are you headed after here?" Birch asked, wishing to change the subject.

"We were going to make our way around and to Mauville City. I wished to stop in Lavaridge in time for the festival too," Vivienne said.

"Why didn't you just fly there? Liam has a Flygon if I recall correctly."

"I don't know, why didn't we fly there?" she asked, turning toward Liam with a tart smile.

"He can't carry the both of us that distance. I'm not 100 lbs anymore, professor," he grumbled, shaking his head.

"Are you trying to say I'm fat?" Vivienne scowled.

"No! I just-"

"I have a Noivern, I was just under the assumption you didn't have a pokemon large enough to fly over the forest. And Akali cannot carry more than me," she chuckled, giving him a wry smile. "I did want to visit some of the towns and enjoy the trip though, but I suppose it'll make traveling a bit faster."

"I think the festival is in less than a week away, you wouldn't have made that by foot," Birch informed them politely.

"Oh, I was told that it took about a week to get there going the long way…" Viv sighed.

"More like two or three, who told you that?"

"An old lady…"

"Her memory must be poor then. Especially if you plan spending time visiting other locations along the way… Well, I don't mean to cut this meeting short, but my wife has dinner waiting for me and if I keep her waiting, some not so pleasant things may be in my future," Professor Birch walked them to the entrance of the lab and locked it up for the night. "It was nice to see you again Liam and an honor to meet you Vivienne. Please keep me updated with anything you find and if I can do anything to help, just give me a call."

Vivienne and Liam made their way toward the inn. Her mind swapped back to the questions he had been asking Birch. She wanted to confront him about it, ask him who he really was, and put the whole thing to rest. However, she didn't know if she could trust whatever organization he was from, even governments could be corrupt.

"Why're you looking at me like that? What did I do?" Liam asked.

Vivienne hadn't realized she had been scowling, deep in thought. "Sorry, was just thinking, didn't mean to stare."

"You must have just been entranced by all of this," he motioned to himself.

"Hm, must've been," she muttered sarcastically. "If you need anything just come by and ask," she yawned, retreating to the room she had unloaded her belongings in. Magnar was curled up by the bathtub that had been filled with hot water.

Her partner looked up at her, leaning his head to one side. He could always see right through her, he knew what was bothering her. A few restless nights and she was becoming exhausted, her patience thinning along with her sanity.

"I just need to relax, I've been high strung these past days," she assured Magnar as she stripped down and slid into the bathtub. The water wasn't scalding, thankfully, and seeped down through her flesh and to her weary bones. "It's catching up to us isn't it? We're not used to civilian life and while it's refreshing, we're still trying to be…" her voice tapered off, the sound of a sliding door catching her attention.

"Vivienne I was just thinkin-"

"What the fu- What're you doing?!" she demanded, craning her head to glare at him.

"Ah… I just remembered something, but I can see that I've come at an inopportune time."

"You don't say… Well, are you just going to stand there and stare or are you going to get out?"

"Do I have a choice or…"

"GET OUT!"


	6. Chapter 6

"The target's file is set to be here within a few days," Kline informed him over the Poke'Nav as Liam sat inside his hotel room in Rustboro City.

 _Vivienne, that's her name, not 'target',_ he thought tartly, but didn't bother bringing it up to Kline. It would just open up another can of worms, if he waited a few days, the documents would come in and clear her of any suspicions they once had.

"What's with that look on your face?" Kline asked.

Liam pursed his lips and sighed deeply. "Nothing…"

"Look, I know none of this sounds right. From the reports you've been giving me, I'd say that she probably works for the Kanto government, which would explain why they're taking so long in sending the file. But Pearce is still not completely convinced, with the state that Kanto and Johto are in right now, she thinks this might have more to do with an infiltrated and compromised government and we might be both being played as fools by a pretty face. She's incredibly intelligent, she could be playing us like a fiddle, she could be a spy for all we know and a double agent for Team Rocket."

"Then she's fooling me. I don't think she's that street smart, she's intelligent, yes… But I've witnessed first hand her have a disconnection with society. I don't know if it has something to do with growing up sheltered, but she's not as 'smooth' as I'd imagine a spy to be."

"I know, kid, but if Pearce where in this call she'd say it's a tactic. Just wait a few more days and we'll find out. Where are you headed now?" Kline shifted the topic away.

"After tonight, we leave for Meteor Falls and then we're flying the rest of the way to Lavaridge. I guess there's a festival going on and she wants to go. Typical woman."

"Have you ever been? Lavaridge's festival is my favorite. I usually try to go every year, but since you're out of the office, I'm stuck here covering your cases."

"Oh boo who, how does it feel to be stuck on phone duty again?"

"I put my time in… Remember to be careful, until we know for certain."

"Alright, my reports may be lacking once we go out toward the falls due to connectivity," Liam warned.

"Roger that, I'll speak to you when you're available. Best of luck, Liam."

Kline's image blinked out from the Poke'Nav and Liam flopped down on his bed, running his fingers through Bjorn's fur as the canine sat beside him. Just a few more days of hoping that the news would be good. Just in time for an event that was supposed to be fun, but instead it was foreshadowed by the accumulation of his doubts and worries.

Why did he care so much? Would it matter if she was really good or bad? Why should it affect him?

"I'm doing it again, Bjorn, aren't I? My luck she'd be a double agent," he confided in his partner, the one who had been there since the beginning. Through his years of training, when he went to police academy, and even during his career, Bjorn had never betrayed him. Pokemon were like that, they wouldn't betray you if they loved you, they weren't as fickle and greedy as humans were.

Bjorn let out a small huff and placed his massive head on Liam's chest.

 _Knock, knock._

Room service? Liam got to his feet and dragged his ass over to the door. Upon opening it, he found Vivienne standing there dressed for a night out on the town. This dress was just as finely made as the other one, yet another mistake on her part, but she didn't know better. Her hair was pulled away from her face, flowing loose down behind her in soft waves.

"Thought I'd make certain to grab you before I planned on going out," she said with a small smile. She pushed some of her hair back nervously, arms crossed over her chest, a defensive position. Was she uncomfortable? Viv never seemed to lack confidence otherwise.

 _Could it be the dress?_ He wondered, it wasn't as scant as what he'd seen other women wear to club, their breasts and bums nearly hanging out. While neither was the case for Viv, the slight bend in her knees, favoring one side to stand on as she didn't hold herself upright and poised.

"Man shield time? I thought you'd never ask," he grabbed his jacket and called for Bjorn to follow him. "Where we going tonight? I could definitely use a good drink."

"Uh, someone on… Tweeter said that Vulgar Venomoth is really lively tonight," she scrutinized her Poke'Nav as they walked the streets, a gentle sea breeze blowing through. Viv rubbed her arm with her free hand.

"You have a Tweeter?" Liam asked incredulously. He hadn't seen any social media for her nearly a week ago.

"No, I just used it to find out what place was good," she admitted, following the directions on the nav to bring them to the club. A long line had already formed, some sort of event was going on at the club that night. "I think there's a good DJ or something."

"Do you like to dance?" Liam hadn't taken her for a dancer.

"Uh, not really. I did ballet until I went to college, but that's definitely not what people here will be dancing to. I'll probably just have a few drinks, after what we've seen over our time together, I think we can both agree they're well deserved."

"I'll buy us the first rounds," Liam offered, watching as she wrapped her arms around herself. "It's a bit cold out here, would you like my jacket while we wait?"

Vivienne considered it for a solid moment and then nodded slowly, accepting his jacket. The coat dwarfed her, nearly as long as her dress. She stood there awkwardly, glancing around, observing her surroundings, tapping her right heel impatiently. It took 20 minutes before they made it to the front and the cover charge was 5,000 Poke` a person. Vivienne insisted on paying for his fee and then they were inside.

The Vulgar Venomoth had violet uplight against the dark walls, casting a ghastly glare within the morbid atmosphere. The dance floor had under floor lighting bordering it, the DJ setup near the back with a huge banner depicting who they were. Music was already popping inside, the floor crammed full of people 'dancing'. Unlike the bar back in Slateport, this one had a lot of money put into it to create a 'poison' type feel. Icicle lights were dripping from the ceiling, programmed to drip in hues of amethyst and green, the bar was made of some sort of natural emerald stone. High tables were littered around the bar, people chatting eagerly.

"I'll grab a table," she told him, splitting from him as he waited at the bar for the tender to get to him.

A few minutes passed by before the publican got to him. "What can I get you tonight?"

Liam had gotten a moment to glance at the specials written on the board. "Two Poison Apples? Just throw it on a tab for Liam, I'll pay it at the end of the night."

"You have an ID I can scan? Just a precaution for those who like to bail without paying, man."

Liam fished his trainer ID from his pocket and offered it. The bartender made the drinks and scanned his card, returning with a huge grin on his face.

"Oh shit! We've got a Champion in the house!" he declared, much louder than Liam would have preferred as he secured the ID and drinks. "First round is on us man."

"Thanks…" _And thanks for letting everyone in this vicinity know._ One thing Liam didn't like was excessive attention drawn to him and now he had both genders staring at him. A few females giggled nearby from behind their hands, giving him eyes. They were cute and if he didn't have Viv waiting on him, he might have entertained them. _But pulling the title card is not my style._

Liam was attempting to make his way past the moving bodies when someone slid in his direction of travel. He had just set eyes on Vivienne, noticing that someone was chatting with her. _So much for being a good man shield,_ he thought as he averted his attention to the one blocking his path.

"So I overheard the bartender say you were a pokemon master?" she had dark brown hair that was falling in loose ringlets. Her dress was a vibrant scarlet, strapless, her breasts pushed up. Her lips were just a vibrant as her outfit as she clicked her gum at him.

"When I was a kid," he told her, trying to step around her.

However, she mirrored his moves. "Doesn't make it any less impressive. I think I'd like to see your pokemon. You see, I'm sort of an aspiring trainer myself."

"Got started a little late, didn't you?"

She giggled, lacing her arms in front of her as she attempt to push her breasts up further. "Happens to most people now, it's dangerous to go out when you're still a kid. I might benefit from some proper tips from a pro."

 _She's just throwing herself at me, this is no fun at all,_ Liam thought glumly, eyes sliding over her head to see that Vivienne hadn't given the other guy the boot yet. Another night, he might have entertained the eager seductress, but there was no game, no skill into landing one such as herself. Liam only went for girls like this when he was tired and trying to get someone into bed quickly.

"Look, I've got my friend waiting on me. Sorry," he ushered by her and beelined for the table where a lean man with blonde hair was standing, he had a hand on the table, and for a moment, Liam thought he was threatening her.

"Meteor Falls is really quite nice this time of the year. It's starting to cool off and it gets windy over near Mt. Chimney, so be certain to bring proper clothing," the man told her, noticing that Liam had arrived. "Annnd that's my que. It was nice to bump into you again."

"Likewise, safe travels," Vivienne bid as the man left.

Liam slid the glass over to her and frowned slightly. "You knew him?"

Vivienne was taking a sip from the beverage, raising her brows at him. "Oh, not really. I met him in Slateport at the bar, he didn't bother me or anything, just talked to me. He saw I was here and just came by to say hello. I guess he's traveling for work or something."

Liam considered the man, his blonde hair had been neatly combed, and his attire had certainly been well made. Business? Probably had a high position in one of the local corporations, he had that 'business' sort of look to him. He probably also recognized that Viv was wearing just as expensive clothing as he was and decided to chat with her. Her ivory hair was also unique and hard to mistake.

"What? Are you jealous?" she teased.

The Poison Apple was sweet and reminded him of an apple martini, but it had grenadine at the bottom and some other liquor he couldn't identify. Certainly a girly drink, but it was strong, so he didn't mind that much. "Making secret friends when I'm not around," Liam feigned moping as he swirled the ice around in the glass with the tiny straw.

"Don't worry, I keep you around because I'm fond of Bjorn."

Liam snorted, taking another swig. "So are you gonna dance tonight? Show me some of those ballet moves?"

"Ha! No, I told you, I don't really dance and I… I don't know how to dance like that," she motioned to those on the floor just feet away from them.

"Then why come to a club? Deep down you want to dance," Liam pointed out.

"I'd have to be drunk for that," she grumbled.

"Challenge. Accepted."

Viv sputtered on her drink, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "You've got some girls ogling you from a distance. One of them is glaring at me," she observed, flicking her eyes discreetly.

Liam pretended to stretch, glancing back toward the bar where he spotted the big boobed brunette who was leering at them. The couple of girls who'd giggled as he left with his drinks were also still looking at him. "What can I say?" he inclined as he turned back to her. "I'm a popular guy. Truth is, you're my ho-shield,"

"Mm, I don't think they've given up, the way they're looking at you. I'm just a wallflower."

"Are _you_ jealous?" he leaned across the table to ask her.

"Hardly… well, I mean the one in the red dress has a nice rack, so I guess I'm jealous of those. But other than that, I just wish they'd stop glaring at me," Viv frowned at her small chest and then glanced back up to give him a goofy smile.

 _Is she a lightweight?_ She had already finished the first drink in record time.

"I can grab us the second round," she offered.

"Shit, already? I'm behind," Liam seized his glass and finished the rest.

* * *

Vivienne made her way to the bar, trying to stay to the far left so that she was away from the women who looked like they wanted to eat Liam right up. Liam was an attractive guy, but she had a feeling they knew something more about him. Despite other people waiting, Viv was astounded that the bartender swiftly turned his attention to her, flashing a wide smile.

"What can I get for you, hon?"

"Uhm, can I have 2 Four Horsemen No. 2?"

"Damn, a woman who knows her drinks. I don't think I've ever been asked for one of those, you know, people just want simple things," the bartender mused.

"Can you make it or is that too much to ask?" she questioned sheepishly.

"Typically, I'd say no, since it's a bougie drink, but for that face… I can spare the extra minute for you. You're with the champion too, right? Knows how to pick 'em, eh?"

 _Ah, they must have overheard something about him being a Hall of Famer,_ she realized, nodding toward the bartender who went off to make the drinks.

"So you're with the pokemon master?" a woman asked her from down the bar, she was twirling a finger through her hair, another girl sitting close next to her.

"Er… yes?" She didn't like the way they said 'with', but in the club the both of them were pretending to be together for the sake of avoiding people pestering them.

"I like your dress, it's very pretty," the other woman said.

"Thank you," but she felt incredibly awkward somehow. The dress she was wearing was a short black dress that had capped sleeves that wrapped around her shoulders, leaving her back and collar open. If she had large breasts, they might have been busting out like the brunette beside her, but her athletic frame complimented the low neckline without being incredibly scandalous. A simple necklace with a teardrop diamond fell just above her breasts.

"It's a little bit fancy," the brunette commented, giving her a disdainful and sidelong glance as she took a deep sip from her own drink.

"I guess it is," Viv chuckled nervously, thumbing the thick velvet. "I didn't pack much, so what I've got is what I've got."

The bartender returned to alleviate her of the strange social stress she was feeling. "How much do I owe?" she asked, reaching for her clutch.

"I added it to your tab," he said giving her a small wink as she took the glasses and returned to the table.

 _That was really strange. Like they were being nice on the surface, but they didn't mean what they were saying,_ she thought as she climbed back into her seat.

"What is this?" Liam sniffed it and made a face. "These smell strong."

"Oh yeah, it's all alcohol, that's why," she told him, forgetting about the ordeal at the bar entirely.

"Are you trying to die?"

"I can handle more than you think," she grumbled, taking a sip of drink. Forcing herself not to make a face, she gave him a sweet smile, a challenge welcoming him to surpass her.

"You're going to regret this," he warned her lightly, taking his own sip.

"No, I'm not," she shrugged. With all the sleepless evening, the nightmares that haunted her, some drinks would help her to the morning. Truthfully, she was exhausted, but everytime she was unable to sleep through a dream, she would just get up and go for a run. The activity was good for her health, but not the insomnia.

The duo got another round of drinks and Vivienne was feeling good. The last beverage had some sort of energy drink in it and was temporarily making up for the exhaustion that had begun to overwhelm her. At this point, if Liam were going to betray her, his best bet would be to do it now while she was tipsy. He even managed to drag her out onto the dance floor when she said she had been thinking about turning in for the night.

* * *

"C'mon, just for a bit and then we'll leave. I bet you can dance, Miss Ballerina," he teased.

Music boomed around them, a steady beat where the bass would occasionally drop. The drops were rather predictable and the DJ was splicing tracks, interjecting other songs that had similar vibes and beats. He was rather good at it, even though Viv wasn't really a fan of that sort of music. She could recognize the skill it took to mix the tracks, line them up, and also MC on top of that. What she didn't like was all the grinding going on. Dancing was an artform, not this drunken swaying or rubbing up against one another.

Vivienne balked when others closed around them, bumping into Liam.

So she really didn't know how to dance. Once he pulled her onto the floor, she startled as easily, drawing closer to him. The moment she touched him, she flinched again, glancing up uncertainly.

"Just follow me," he instructed, grabbing her around the waist. The alcohol must have gave him the courage and the entire situation was so uncomfortable for Viv that she was complacent in him touching her. "And just let go. There's no certain moves involved, just feel the music, and let it move you."

His words didn't really help, she was awkward and anxious, the alcohol hadn't even loosened her up. Liam tried not to betray his amusement by it all, because she appeared as if she were really trying.

"Alright, we're gonna take it down ya'll and move into a slow one as requested. Bring it down ya'll," DJ Meloetto announced, slipping the disks a couple times to create a regression sound before a slow song, that nearly everyone recognized, began playing. The grinding switched to duos dancing and Vivienne seemed to relax once the moved to a simpler song where everyone was only involved with their partner.

Liam would have been lying if he said he didn't enjoy having his hands on her. His fingers curled around to the small of her back, the warmth of her head resting against his chest, her hips against his.

 _Control yourself Greyson, it's the alcohol speaking. This won't happen again,_ he reminded himself as they swayed, he felt her move toward the end of the song. She was looking up at him with her vibrant eyes, glittering in the spotlights as they moved slowly among the crowd.

"I'd just like to take a moment to thank our sponsor for tonight. Miss Priscilla! Give her all a hand before we turned it back up!"

Both of them turned to look at the woman on the dias, her golden hair cropped to her shoulders as she had one of the earphones against her head. She flashed a smile and twisted one of the knobs on the soundboard, turning up vibing tunes. Liam heard Vivienne's gasp.

"We need to leave. We need to leave right now," the moment they had was over, her face was as white as a sheet, and she could feel her quivering against him.

 _That's_ the _Priscilla? What is she doing in Hoenn?_ He wondered, but took her lead as she led him out of the club. Once they had stalked away, both of them released their partners from their poke'balls.

"What was that about?" Liam asked her, hands in his pockets as they headed back toward the hotel.

"I-I… she's a very dangerous woman," she stammered, a head on her temple as she glared at the pavement. "That could have been very bad for us. I didn't think she'd come here. Why did she come here? Father must have-" she cut herself off when she realized she was still speaking out loud.

"Dangerous how?" he pressed.

Vivienne glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "Mafia dangerous. Can we just leave it at that?"

"No. If she's really that dangerous, I need to know more about her… about you."

Vivienne stopped, frowning at him… no, her face was ashen. "I can't tell you. Just like you can't tell me about yourself."

"Why?" he demanded, at this point he was contemplating blowing his cover just to get her to talk.

"Because I made a vow not to speak about it. I'm sorry," she bowed her head as they entered the hotel, ending the conversation for the night.

They split up without words aside from a meager 'goodnight'. It was late, but Liam found himself glowering at the ceiling, wondering why she couldn't talk, wondering who she had sworn to. He closed his eyes, recalling the warmth of her body against his, wishing it still lingered. Her hair had smelled of elderberries and pine, his coat still had her scent.


	7. Chapter 7

Darkness seethed around her, but it wasn't silent. Gunfire popped in her ears, screams of pokemon and humans alike, echoing into the abyss. Her head pounded, when she opened her eyes, her vision was obscured. Wiping her eyes, she smeared the blood on the back of her hand and across her face.

 _Was is this? What happened_? She wondered, getting to her feet. Magnar was fighting off an Arbok, favoring one side of his body, his left hind leg bleeding.

Her ears were still ringing, the room had been trashed around them.

"Doc! Doc are you ok! Get up! We need to get out of here!" a strong hand gripped her bicep and pulled her to her feet. Her head swam as she stood, recalling that an Electrode had self destructed, causing all the damage to the room they stood in.

Her eyes scanned the floor as Magnar flung the Arbok across the room, a crimson river of blood seeping down his chin and neck, staining his fur. The Arbok did not get up.

Fingers tightening around her rifle, Vivienne flanked Griff, trying to keep a low silhouette, but her leg pained her. When she looked, she saw there was shrapnel from the explosion in her thigh, a piece of jagged metal. Removing it now would just cause her to lose more blood. She hooked her arm around her partner pokemon and limped after her companion.

But when she looked again for Griff, he had vanished. A body laid strewn in front of her, a bullet wound in between the woman's eyes. She wore a Team Rocket uniform and was a couple years younger than her. Viv knew her. She had been the daughter of one of her father's officers, a child that had been inside their estate, following her around, always interested in what she was doing. Her mouth was open, as if she had gasped before the bullet took her, eyes stretched wide.

"Why Vivienne? Why did you do this to me? You betrayed your family, you're a murderer. A murderer. I was barely 21, so many years ahead of me," the female started talking, climbing to her feet to approach her. She moved like a puppet on string, her limbs swaying awkwardly, eyes unblinking, and jaw unhinged. Blood matted the back of her head where the exit wound was.

"I didn't, I didn't want to but-" she stammered, trying to walk back, but her leg gave out, crumpling beneath her.

The undead woman approached her, cupping her face in her cold hands. "So pretty, so smart, and yet you have not loyalty to your blood. Blood. BLOOD!" she smeared her coagulated blood all over Vivienne's face, Magnar was gone and she was alone. "You'll be alone in the end. No one will understand you. A doctor who takes lives so freely. You're a terrible person. You swore to protect and defend and yet to kill those you've known all your life."

She was falling into an abyss now, away from the battlefield, away from the gore, into nothing. Nothing was waiting for her. This was her fate.

Gasping, Vivienne sat up, Magnar raising his head to look at her. A sob wracked her chest, she drew her knees up to her chest, placing her forehead down. Magnar nosed her, trying to force his face toward hers. He stared at her, his rough tongue licking away her tears, irritating the skin on her face. Her fingers touched the scars on his face before she grabbed him and hugged him close.

"It was bad again," she whispered to him, holding his close, afraid to lose him, afraid to be alone. When she had recovered enough, she glanced over at the clock on the nightstand: 5:30 AM.

She could never fall back asleep after these, she always got up for the morning. Her head ached from the evening's festivities and drinking, but she got dressed for a run either way. Running reduced the stress she felt from her nightmares, but she never felt completely recovered or well rested.

The streets of Rustboro were dead in the morning. She always found it interesting when in cities, to see who was up and active at this time. She noticed a few delivery trucks already working on their routes, some other people doing physical activity, and those that were opening shops were 6 AM were also dragging themselves down the street. The sun was cresting over the city by the time she returned to the hotel to shower.

Despite the awful night, Viv was eager to fly out to Meteor Falls to see the natural wonder. Taking the suggestion of the man she had crossed paths with again in the club, she went with pants and a thin wind breaker, heading downstairs for the continental breakfast the hotel offered. She found Liam groggily cupping a coffee in his hands as he sat with just a muffin in front of him.

"You look awful," Vivienne greeted, sitting down across from him, setting her plate on the table.

"I'm not a morning person," he muttered, taking a deep sip from his coffee.

"Well you better perk up, since we're flying over to the Falls today after breakfast," she said, frowning at his meal. "You should eat more."

"What are you, my mom?"

"I shouldn't have to be. Surprised you've made it this far into adulthood."

"My body does pretty well running on coffee only, thank you very much."

"Just because you're traveling with a doctor, doesn't mean I want to deal with you as a heat casualty. Grab a piece of fruit or something," she directed, picking off her own plate.

Standing up, Liam mimicked her words in a high pitched voice, but went and retrieved fruit anyways. A few minutes of silence passed between them before Liam had gotten over himself. "So today, make certain you keep close behind me. The Falls are arranged in a layer of tiers that can be accessed from the top, but due to some strong drafts, it can be hard to get inside and not dashed along the rocky wall. I know your Noivern is a strong flyer, but it's easy to overshoot the margin you need to be in."

Vivienne nodded, her Noivern, Bella, was an incredibly arrogant beast. While every pokemon that Vivienne had could use their skills for medical purposes, Bella was only utilized for travel purposes and emergency airlifts for those who were badly injured. The creature was impeccable at taking coordinates and arriving exactly where she needed to be, but with that skill came cockiness. Bella listened to her, but sometimes the beast believed she knew better than her partner.

"When's the last time you went to the Falls?" she asked him. "Is it very popular? Will there be a lot of people there?"

"It's really only accessed by people traveling on foot, not many bother flying since it is dangerous. On top of that, it's mostly trainers who make the trip. Other people would just head there after visiting Fallarbor Town. With the path to Mauville City down, I doubt there will be anyone there," Liam shrugged, dashing her hopes of enjoying the beautiful site with some new faces. "Now the last time I was there," he leaned back in his seat. "Maybe a few years ago, someone who you remind me of wanted to go."

Viv's brows furrowed at that, he appeared to be in deep thought, reminiscing something or someone. "I remind you of someone? They must be pretty awesome then," she huffed, albeit lamely.

"Eh, it was a long time ago and you're still different…" he trailed off, tapping his cup on the table. "I need another," and left to go grab more coffee.

 _I wonder what that was about,_ she thought, watching him as he filled up another cup of joe.

* * *

Bella chirped at her, excited for another flight with Vivienne, rather than being cooped up in her poke'ball. Viv leaned forward, running her neck, whispering, "Let them take lead, stay close." But whether the pokemon would listen was entirely up to her mood. Bella didn't follow, she just went where she was supposed to. The creature didn't appear too disdainful at the instructions, but nor did she seem entirely pleased.

Lowering her aviator goggles, Viv nodded at Liam who was zipping up his bomber coat. His Flygon was the picture of health, vibrant, and chipper with the day's sunlight falling down upon them warmly. It would be colder in the sky, especially while they were moving. Viv made certain her scarf wouldn't come loose and clung to Bella before they took off.

The initial burst into the air was always the worst, even with the stirrups on Bella, she always felt as if she were going to just slide right off. Vivienne preferred water or earth to the sky, even with how beautiful the land beneath them appeared. Bella stabilized once their were at a high enough altitude, but there was a strong wind that she had to beat against coming from the west.

Rustboro dropped out beneath her, people nothing more than insignificant specs as they passed a flock of Taillows soaring high. The pokemon balked at both the large predators, Flygon and Noivern were certainly unsettling sights with smaller pokemon. The sun juxtaposed to them, cresting to their right to cast an amber shadow over the trees below.

Even with the whistling in her ears, the inability to hear anything but her own breathing, Viv found herself dwelling on that morning still. She reminded him of someone? Was that someone alive? What had been his relationship with that person? Were they a doctor too? She didn't know why she was so hung up on a simple statement, but she wanted to know more. But their conversations when it came to sharing details about themselves was always an eye for an eye. You had to give something just as worthy in return.

The forest soon gave way to a rocky path, stones erected instead of trees, some tall grass splicing the terracotta with folds of verdant green. A monolith among the terrace of stone, a tall structure, not quite a mountain, rose to greet them. This was where Liam had forewarned of. Viv could feel the wind beating against her like fingers trying to pull her coat off. Bella tailed them as close as she could, but a sudden draft caused her to veer dangerously close to the rocky walls of the falls.

Regaining her composure, Bella pressed forward until they were passing over the top of the Falls. However, she cut closer to the rocks, unable to slip out of the down draft. Liam was above them, having taken a straight shot up so that he was significantly above the opening, but Bella and Viv were getting pulled as if there were an invisible riptide of wind trying to snare them into the abyss.

Her pokemon was straining and just as they were dragged over the deepest portion, Vivienne knew that they were not going to make it out. Bella let out a frustrated, high pitch wail before her muscles gave out and they were sent toppling into the caverns.

"Bella! Bella, protect!" Vivienne screamed, clinging to the back of her pokemon as they plummeted.

* * *

Absolute terror seized Liam when he saw the Noivern miss the margin to fly up. All he could do was watch as she tried to fight against it, using all her strength to not be dashed against the rocks. But the winds were strong and relentless, dragging them down into the caverns below. Artemis was just as frightful, watching as they vanished below, wondering what her trainer wanted to do.

"Go... Go!" Liam finally croaked once they disappeared, Artemis nosediving through the center, splaying her wings to catch them before they hit the water within the caves. The sounds of the falls echoed through the cave walls, pounding louder than the blood in his ears, and any cries that those who had fallen might be making.

Artemis saw them first, Noivern was soaked, but out of the water, cradling her master. Vivienne, fortunately, was awake and responsive, if not albeit sluggish from the fall and hacking up a lung from water inhalation. How they had managed to recover so quickly was beyond him, but relief flooded him to see that they were unharmed.

Artemis and Liam landed on the rocky shore beside them, Vivienne was assuring her pokemon that she was fine. Soaked to the bone, hair plastered to her face, but fine.

"Are you alright?" he asked anyway, hopping down from Artemis to approach them swiftly.

"Yeah, I think so. I was just really jonesing for a swim, y'know?" she mused hoarsely, pushing back her hair. It was the first time he'd noticed an accent from her, rounded and choppy, a city accent from Kanto. He'd met other detectives from Kanto who had a similar accent.

"Woah there city slicker, did you hit your head? I've never heard you talk like that before," he jested lightly.

"Oh... Uh, it comes out sometimes, I've worked hard on not sounding like a guido," she leaned up off of Bella and removed her damp jacket. "At least the water was nice," she chuckled, but her partner did not share the same enthusiasm as she. Bella stood and shook herself off, getting both Liam and Artemis wet too.

Viv stood, stretching, before she removed the rest of her damp attire. She had her bathing suit on underneath, laying the clothes out to dry before she released all of her pokemon. Magnar headed over to Bella's side to warm her, a small conversation occurring between the two pokemon. Tinsel pawed at the water, giving a shrill yip of excitement as she bounced on her hind legs, Persephone, the Brionne, sent a jet of water in her. Fib, the Magnezone floated around, exploring some of the cavern, but didn't stray too far. Shiinotic did his own little thing, investigating the caves, eventually linking up and spending his time with Fib.

Sitting on the edge of the stone, she put her feet in the water, Tinsel trotting over to plop on her lap while the Brionne swam around in the moving water.

Vivienne craned her head back to look at him, her eye bright and warm. "You gonna just stand there or enjoy the Falls?" she asked him, turning back so she could absorb her surroundings and savor the company of her pokemon having fun.

They were on the upper tier of Meteor Falls, sunlight hitting the middle of the cave and water, refracting and illuminating the area. The other edges of the cave were darker and soon, the shadows would claim the rest as the sun traveled over the sky. For now, they had a good few hours before the light would leave them.

Liam finally decided to release his own pokemon from their bonds. Bjorn excitely hopped his way over to Vivienne, sniffing Tinsel loudly, before letting out a loud bark in declaration that he was pleased to meet the creature. Tinsel bounded off of Viv's lap and chased Bjorn down the stream, before the larger canine bowled Tinsel into the water.

Neptune caught the fox pokemon, but Tinsel was able to paddle herself around, letting the current take her down to Persephone who stopped her and began playing with her.

Hime, his Froslass, kept close to him as she nervously inspected the others that she had yet to meet. Aggron and Roserade also integrated themselves. Liam, finally sitting down beside Vivienne, now had a sopping wet Vulpix on her lap. The little ball of fluff shook her fur out, the majority of the water hitting him.

Viv snickered at him before throwing Tinsel back in the water, her little legs flailing in the air before she splashed next to Persephone. "You said you came here last with someone like me?"

Liam's mind wandered. Why had he said that? Of course she'd bring it up. Not many people were like her, but she vaguely reminded him of her. "Eh, a little bit. It's hard to say how much like her, since we barely know each other."

"Then..." she said slowly, giving him a smile warmer than he'd received before. "Why don't we get to know one another? ... Of course, as much as we're allowed to."

Get to know her? What questions did he even had that wouldn't get shot down? Nothing about the past few years, she had already stated she couldn't betray what happened. "You said that you had a strained relationship with your family?"

The cheerful demeanor vanished and a shadow fell over her face as she glared into the water. "Not strained, I have no relationship with my family anymore," she began to paddle her feet in the water, shoulders tightening. "Let me... give some more background about it. I grew up very sheltered, maybe because my father saw my potential in me, knew that I would be 'wasted as a trainer'. He wanted me to attend school and be a good, obedient girl. And what did I want more than anything? Naturally, to be a pokemon trainer. Magnar was a gift from my father, a Litleo to satisfy my cravings for pokemon and also a friend, since I rarely left our estate.

"I never hated him, not until later when I began to understand him a better. Believe it or not, I was a willful child and I tested him often. I thought it was unfair that my sister was allowed to become a pokemon trainer despite being younger and so he taught me a lesson. The scars on Magnar's face are from a battle against one of my father's pokemon. He beat Magnar further than needed, even after he had won, that's where his scars came from. He told me 'Pokemon are replaceable, never forget that'. I believed he was actually going to kill Magnar, but he left him dying on the ground instead.

"After that, things only became worse. I opened my eyes, saw clearly the things he was doing, the people he was manipulating. I wanted to get away, but couldn't until I started university. I found it difficult to pretend, especially since my hatred only grew. My mother committed suicide when I was 17, I blame him for that as well. Finally, when I finished school, I vanished. I didn't want anything to do him or the rest of the family. Do I regret it? No, I'm happy every day that I'm not apart of that life or mindset. I don't talk to them and I'm know for a fact that they see as a traitor, which is fine."

Liam glanced at Magnar who was lying down wtih Bella, realizing that the claw marks had probably belonged to Giovanni's Persian. A cruel lesson that began the turning of his daughter, the very one he tried to nurture, but he couldn't hide his true colors. "Family means a lot to some," he pointed out.

"The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb,'" Vivienne replied, her eyes misty as she stared at her pokemon playing.

His eyes wandered, he spotted another scar on her outer thigh he hadn't noticed before. The bullet scars had distracted him before, but this one was jagged and he couldn't tell what it had been from.

"What about your family?" she questioned. "Do you miss them?"

"My mother sometimes, but I've never patched anything up with her," he admitted.

"Why not? Is she still with your step-father?"

"Yes, and I'm not apologizing. I've been trying to keep track of her, but she rarely goes to the hospital and won't report anything to the police about the abuse. She's in denial and won't be convinced otherwise," he sighed.

"Perhaps you can convince her one day. I bet she wants to be part of your life, especially if you ever get married and have children. I wouldn't stop trying, not if you still care about her," Vivienne told him.

"It's difficult," he grumbled.

"Did she do anything to you? Other than stick by her abuser's side?"

"No, but-"

"Don't give up on her then. When's the last time you spoke with her?"

Liam leaned back, trying to calculate the last time he had bothered. "I don't know."

"You don't even know how she's doing?"

"I'm a terrible son, aren't I?"

"Not any worse than me. Call her," Viv insisted before sliding down into the water. "Persephone, want to check something for me?"

He had given up on his mother, believing that she would choose his step-father over him anyday. There had been several cases that he had seen where the women just returned to their abusers, despite the pleas from their family to leave and be safe. He expected his mother was just another of those number, he hadn't dealt with domestic abuse cases in a long time, not since he was a regular officer. Aside from the other officers he trusted implicitly, he had always preferred to be alone, especially after his ordeal with his mother.

Vivienne wasn't bad, she didn't pester him and understood his sarcastic humor that others didn't appreciate.

"Hey!" he lifted his head and looked over where Vivienne was standing.

The rocky bottom lifted up so that she only had water to her knees, gallons plummeting down beneath her, rushing around her ankles.

"I bet you won't jump!" she dared, raising her voice so that he could hear her over the water.

"You're right! I'm not going to get myself killed and you shouldn't either," he responded.

The woman gave him a devilish smile and hopped over the edge.

Yet another situation where she was falling, Liam leapt to his feet and sprinted over to the edge of where the stone reached. She resurfaced, hand on Persephone as she swam out of the way of the roaring falls. She glanced up and shouted something, but he couldn't hear her.

Bjorn let out a joyous cry and charged over the edge, flailing gracelessly, plunging into the water below.

 _Great, he did it. Now I have to,_ he thought removing his shoes and shirt. He hadn't worn swimming trunks, he hadn't been planning on swimming. Stepping onto the terrace of rushing water, it chilled him, nowhere near as warm as what Viv had suggested. But it was too late, he had already committed, leaping over the edge.

Water crushed down above him, pushing him further under. He strained to see where he was going, the turbulence jarring his sense of direction. He felt something grab him, guiding him. He broke the surface of the water, Brionne smiling at him.

"Thanks," he told her, Persephone letting out a cheerful yap before diving beneath the surface again.

Vivienne had her arm hooked around Bjorn who was paddling toward him. "You alright? The water is a bit strong, I tried to warn you."

"Ah, I couldn't hear you from up there," he glanced at his partner. "And I didn't think you'd jump in."

"He doesn't like water?"

"Aside from being a fire pokemon... he's only ever just played in kiddy pools. He must really like you, seeing the way he flew in after you," Liam told her, shaking his head.

"Oh, you big furry love bug," Vivienne cupped his wet face in her hands, nuzzling her nose against his. "You're going to be a mess once we get out, aren't you?"

Bjorn barked in agreement.

"I've got another question for you," Liam proposed, watching the two play.

She glanced over at him. "Yes?"

"All of those scars, where did you get them from? It wasn't you father was it?"

The sweet expression faded and her face became hard, distant, and cold. The vibrancy faded, eyes as hard as ice, and for a moment she looked like another person entirely. "In a manner of speaking, yes he did, but not directly. I can't talk much about it other than that, but my scars are from my most recent years."

She has memories in those eyes... But what kind of memories? How dark were they?

Vivienne appeared haggard now, reminded of something dark.

"Forget I asked," he tried to brush it aside, but it was too late.

"It's fine," she told him sternly, releasing Bjorn so she could swim for the edge. Pulling herself from the water, she stood dripping, eyes set into the rest of the cave. Her fingers were balled in tight fists and when she turned around her face was... She was normal again? She smiled at him, but her eyes betrayed her once again.

 _What pain have you been through_?


	8. Chapter 8

Lavaridge Town was just waking up for the day's festivities when Vivienne plowed through for her morning run around 5 am. She had already fallen in love with the traditional charm of the village, overshadowed by Mt. Chimney. She hadn't gotten to enjoy the bathhouses yet, but she certainly planned on renting one of the private rooms after the festival to enjoy a drink in. She did have a bit of a headache, but not from her nightmares.

 _I wonder what everyone else is up to while we're on leave? Perhaps some covert missions like me? We never truly rest,_ she thought, picking up her pace as she came back around to the inn they were staying at.

Vivienne was torn, she knew that her blossoming friendship with Liam could spell trouble. Despite their brief time together, she had become rather fond of him. Her lighthearted attitude matched with his relaxed and sarcastic personality meshed exceptionally. While he was no Griff, she thought she could see some of her friend in him; the way he cared about what happened to her, how he treated her as an equal, and also how he didn't just treat her as a woman. She could never be with Griff, that had already been established due to their positions. She had grown hopeless that she'd ever find someone, but now there was Liam, even if he was just following her around as an undercover fed. She hoped more than anything that everything he'd said and told her had been sincere and not a lie.

 _Don't get your hopes up, you never know,_ she reminded herself, trotting into her room.

Vivienne freshened up and began dressing for the festivities. Despite the steep price for the kimono, she was quite pleased with how it looked. Spinning around as she looked into the mirror, she thought she had done more than a proper job at wrapping and tying it. Of course, her hair and eyes didn't quite match her for a local, but the least she could do was respect tradition. She tied her hair back in an intricate caged braid, a few loose strands falling across her cheeks.

Carrying Tinsel out with her, she found Liam in the lounge with a fresh cup of hot coffee. He glanced over at her, with his typical grumpy morning expression. However, upon seeing her his scowl relaxed and he stood up. He hadn't dressed traditionally for the festival, just wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

"Wow, where did you get that kimono? It suits you well," he remarked, stepping around her to make certain that nothing was out of place.

"Slateport's marketplace," she confided, swelling up in pride from her handiwork.

"Probably paid an arm and a leg for it," he muttered, stopping to stand back in front of her.

"It was worth it!" she insisted. "Why didn't you dress up?"

"I didn't even shave this morning, do I really look like I want to dress up?" he asked, pointing to his scraggly jaw.

"Maybe if you woke up earlier," she pointed out lightly, Tinsel mewing in agreement.

"Eh," he shrugged. "So are we going to do this? I heard there's a lot of good food stands."

"I heard that too! I've never been to a festival like this, so I want to stop at every stand to look!" Vivienne told him, a childish excitement filling her.

"There's going to be _a lot_ of stands," he pointed out.

"I don't care!" she huffed, taking Tinsel with her out the door.

The sun had fully risen by this point and the streets were beginning to grow crowded. Many others had also decided to wear kimonos and yukatas. People and pokemon alike milled the streets. Vivienne had decided to only bring Tinsel with her to keep Magnar from getting nervous. He had never been fond of tightly packed areas and this festival was going to be much busier than anywhere they'd previously traveled. Bjorn was hot as her heels, greeting Tinsel with a sloppy kiss.

The Vulpix gave a shrill mew, trying to fix the fur on her face afterward. Cocking his head at Viv, Bjorn let out a deep bark.

"If you're good I'll buy you another treat," she promised him, Liam finally coming out to join them.

Dragging him along, Vivienne started in the artisan area. Crafted gifts, jewelry, toys, pokemon accessories, clothing, and other assorted items were choked into this area. She found a stand that caught her eye full of delicate baubles, but decided she would return if nothing else caught her eye. The food stands had Bjorn salivating all over her arm. He had been good thus far and so she rewarded him with a biscuit and also got a small chew for Tinsel.

Even if Liam was just following her around, she still found pleasure in having the company. While this wasn't the spectacular pokemon journey she had always dreamed of, there were bits of it that made her heart soar. She imagined that if they had been trainers, she would have dragged whoever she was traveling with regardless. The excited people around them also pumped Viv up.

After making a brief stop for a snack, they passed the stands of local items, much of which were made from the soot from Mt. Chimney. Vivienne purchased a jar of soot facial mask and decided she'd return to the baubile stand. Upon returning, she scanned over the hair pins, necklaces, charms, and pins.

"What are you looking for?" Liam asked, finally deciding to take part in her shopping.

"I don't know, I just thought these were pretty," she picked up one of the hair pins that had charms hanging down from it. The end of the pin had a marill on it, water droplets hanging down from it. She noticed there were matching orb shaped earrings in a similar hue, droplet symbols and stars trapped inside of the glass beads.

"Maybe a matching set to match your friend? I think I might have an Arcanine pin left," the stand keeper had taken notice of them, pulling another sheet of pins out. Delicately plucking a pin out, he showed it to Vivienne. "Most of these were done in the traditional style and since Arcanine was once considered a legendary pokemon, the pin was meant to reflect the Arcanine in legends."

The Arcanine was artfully done like a painted rendition taken straight out of a scroll with brushwork and calligraphy. Two little flames made of glass hung from the Arcanine, twinkling softly. Vivienne noticed the matching fire glass bead earrings.

"Looks just like Bjorn, don't you think?" she went to nudge Liam, but found that he wasn't where she had last seen him.

Craning her head around to look for him, she found he had turned around completely and was staring at a stranger; a woman.

"Greyson?" the woman had wavy copper hair that fell just slightly past her shoulders. Her eyes were twinkling, verdant emeralds like a vast expanse of hilly grasslands. There was no denying that the woman was beautiful, but who she was eluded Vivienne.

"Hawthorne?" Liam breathed, an expression on his face that Vivienne had not witnessed before.

"Hi," Hawthorne greeted in a small voice, giving an awkward wave. Her eyes slid away from him and to Viv, who was glancing between them stupidly. "I'm sorry, have I interrupted something?"

Before Liam could say anything, Vivienne's voice cracked out of her. "N-no!" she squeaked, waving her hands dismissively. There was a tension in the air, one that could be cut with a knife, and the way that Liam was looking at her forlornly… something happened between these two.

"This is my companion, Vivienne, we were just traveling together," Liam finally managed, his voice strained.

"It's so nice to see you again. I… I want to talk about what happened," Hawthorne requested.

Bjorn's fur was sticking on end, his lip curled up and he growled at her. He only relented when Liam put his hand out to silence him. The big, goofy canine gave his partner a disparaging look, but withdrew to brush up against Vivienne.

"Do you mind watching him?" Liam sighed. His expression begged her assistance and she could do not more than shrug and nod.

"Yeah, don't worry about it," she told him weakly, forcing a smile. "Go catch up with your friend."

Liam's gaze swept between both women and he nodded. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," she said, watching as they stepped further away. Between the passerbyers, Vivienne could only see them slightly as they departed. What she did see was Hawthorne embrace him tightly and for longer than any 'friend' would.

 _What did you expect?_ A voice nagged her as she turned back to the stand.

"Actually, do you have any that would match my eyes?" she asked the shop owner, hoping that he hadn't witnessed everything. Her cheeks were burning, her eyes cast down at the products so she wouldn't have to look at him.

"I have this one," he produced an Articuno pin.

"I'll take it, along with the matching earrings."

Paying for the wares, she departed with Bjorn and Tinsel. She stopped by a stand, purchasing a deep fried piece of dough, stuffing it in her face as she tried not to think of Hawthorne. Was she the woman that Viv had reminded Liam of? They didn't even look slightly similar.

"You didn't like her, huh Bjorn?" she asked, offering him some of her food.

Bjorn raised his heavy brows and let out a low huff.

"Well, hopefully she'll say what she needs to and be off," but she doubted it would be that simple.

A sudden wave of nausea smacked her in the face, she grabbed her forehead and suppressed a moan.

 _I wish they would just call instead of using the implant,_ she thought, picking up her belongings and heading to a more secluded area. Once she was certain she was alone, she opened her Poke'Nav and accepted the call that was ringing mutely.

"Captain Valkyrie, can you hear me?" but the audio was not coming from the Poke'Nav, it was resounding inside her head like a loudspeaker.

Tapping her temple, she nodded slowly, focusing her vision on the man's image. "Yes, Commander, what is it?"

"I don't mean to bother you on your vacation, but you're in Hoenn, correct?"

"Yes."

"Lilycove Police Department should have received your file by now. They asked Kanto to release it and it took longer than anticipated, you haven't run into any issues with the law? Given your birth, they might assume you work for Team Rocket," Commander Jaeger informed her. He was a middle aged man with sunkissed skin, his hair was cropped short in a fade, it was strange seeing him in civilians.

"Ah, yes, I believed I was traveling with an undercover fed, but I wasn't certain who he was with. Lilycove Police Department sounds like it might be likely," she replied, her headache only growing worse the longer they spoke. "Did you want to check in with me? Is that why you've contacted me?"

"Yes, we've gotten intell that Priscilla has moved into Hoenn to help Team Magma. On top of that, I wanted to inform you that there's another dangerous player that has just had a bounty placed on her head," Commander Jaeger's face faded and was replaced with scrolling images and information. "A rogue cop, who after going undercover, went to the other side. Mauville City has just released that she is officially a traitor and I see from your GPS signal that you're in Lavaridge, so I wanted to keep you on the lookout."

Before Jaeger uttered her name, Vivienne saw her picture, the cold hand of fear seizing her heart.

* * *

The moment Liam had saw her, it wasn't like how he envisioned it. His dreams, she had been apologetic, he had wanted to see her, and they would get over their differences. But now, beside Vivienne, moving on, he felt anxious. Why wouldn't she go to the festival? She worked out of Mauville City. He had imagined forgiving her, taking her back into his arms and forgetting the past, but what about now?

He saddled Viv with the responsibility of Bjorn who would not trust Hawthorne again after what she had done.

"Look, I-" he started, but she had encircled him in her arms, pulling as close as she could.

"Can we go somewhere more private?" she requested.

"Fine, but what do you hope to gain from this?" he asked her wearily. Seeing her again just pained him, he might have been better without seeing her.

She held his hand while walking, bringing him away from the busy festival. "I wanted to talk about that night. You know that I was undercover, right?"

"You shot me in the leg!" Liam snarled, snatching his hand away from her. "And were about to kill Bjorn. I can give two shits about my leg, since you were undercover, but Bjorn?"

"I didn't though," she pointed out.

"That's because Pearce stopped you! Had she not arrived at the right time, Bjorn would be dead."

"You have to understand that I was a year into my cover, I had to prove that I was with them. When you busted in our deal, I couldn't just let you walk away," Hawthorne insisted, the images flashing behind his lids when he closed them.

It had been an investigation that he had worked hard on, tracking the movements of drug dealers who were a part of underground fighting pits. Liam had just found out the location of one of the ringleaders and without backup, he charged in. That had been his first mistake. He didn't blow Hawthorne's cover, but nor had he expected her to shoot him when the gang decided that they needed to dispose of the cop. Bjorn was another matter, he had kept fighting until he'd barely been able to get up. Liam could hear the sound of the glock cocking back as she held it over Bjorn's head.

"I know that it'll take a lot for me to make it up to you, but I've missed you these past few years. I tried dating, but it wasn't the same. We had a fire between us and I could never find anyone to match it," Hawthorne told him, looking up at him with her round green eyes.

 _How did I think she was similar to Vivienne?_ He wondered crossly. He could feel his Poke'Nav buzzing in his pocket, he picked it up to see who was on the line.

"Greyson, it's Kline, have I got some good news for you-"

"Can I call you back chief? I'm kind of in the middle of something."

"It's about Vivienne. She-" the signal dropped as Hawthorne reached up and ended the call.

"What is your problem? Did you really think you could waltz back into my life?"

"It was the woman you were with right? The 'friend'? She looked kind of innocent and sweet, is that the type you go for now? Those who don't know what a bastard you can be?" Hawthorne interrogated. She pushed him up against the building there were behind, her palm on his chest.

"You don't know the first thing about her."

"And you do? Or was that was Kline was calling to tell you. She's Giovanni's precious daughter, right? How would you like it if I just finished your work for you and killed her? After all, negotiations with Giovanni will go nowhere, killing her though… Oh, that would really boil the leader of the mafia's blood, wouldn't it?"

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Hawthorne? She's not a target, we don't even know if she has ties to Rocket," he wanted to get away from her. Where was Vivienne?

"They said it'd be a pretty penny for her dead or alive, doesn't matter much to me. Though it was pleasant to see you again, I didn't think you'd be guarding the girl. I wonder what she did to make her father want her dead," she reached behind her and produced a gun. "You always did let your defenses down among women. It's always been your weakness, love."

"And you always liked to chat my ear off. Most of the time I just tuned you out, but now that I've seen you again, I wonder how I managed to do it for so long," he told her. It hadn't been wise to taunt the woman with a gun, as she placed the barrel against his jugular.

"I always thought that smart mouth of yours was attractive. Now I just find it annoying."

"Were you ever truly undercover or were you always with them?"

"It's about the money baby, and it's tax free and comes in much faster when it's under the table. Ah! There they are," she loosened her grip of him and turned to look at two figures approaching. "Just like I thought, the little doctor wouldn't be too hard to snatch."

A Magma grunt had hold of Vivienne, a gun to her head as they approached. Both Tinsel and Bjorn were not in sight.

"Don't hurt her," Liam insisted. "We can do this peacefully-"

"Shut up," Hawthorne slammed her pistol down and smacked him hard between his legs, forcing him to knees, dazed by the pain.

He tried to blink away the stars.

 _Don't do anything stupid,_ he thought, an orange light flashing in front of him. Hawthorne was thrown against the wall of the building, the gun spiraling away from her fingertips as Bjorn clamped his maw over her arm.

Hawthorne screamed in pain, the grunt reacting to the pokemon's arrival, pointing the gun at him.

Vivienne acted in that moment, grabbing his wrist, smashing her forearm into his, breaking the bone with a sickening crunch, gaining control of his gun. While reeling in pain, she pistol whipped him over the top of the head, knocking the grunt out completely. Bjorn leapt back from Hawthorne as Vivienne stalked forward.

The red head clung to her bleeding arm, the flesh torn and peeled from where Bjorn had attacked her.

"The reason he wants me dead is because of how many of his men I've killed," Vivienne told her, raising the gun to level it at the woman's head. "And I could make you another among that number."

"Go ahead, do it then," Hawthorne spat, breathing heavily as she tried to stop the bleeding.

Gunfire popped in Liam's ears, when he looked, Hawthorne had crumpled to her knees, but was not dead.

"The police will be here any moment and you'll be under arrest for your crimes. It wasn't hard to tip your grunt off to where I was, letting him take me, so I could find where you were before anything happened. It was me you were after, but I assume you believed I wasn't dangerous," she popped the clip of the gun out, ejecting the chambered round, catching it before she placed it back in the clip. "But you'll never be back on the streets, not with that injury. Your ankle is shattered from the bullet… You're fortunate that Bjorn attacked you and not my Pyroar. Magnar always goes for the throat."

As if on queue, a pack of officers flooded into the alley. Vivienne held up both hands, showing that the gun was empty, before she placed it on the ground.

"Stop! Don't arrest her," Liam croaked as they closed in, guns drawn. "I'm Detective Greyson from Lilycove, she's with me."

Vivienne smiled at him, reaching over to help him to his feet. "They won't arrest me," she told him.

"Captain Valkyrie?" an officer addressed, striding toward them.

Hawthorne was being carried away so her injuries could be treated before she was inprocessed.

"You asked me where I got all those scars…"


	9. Chapter 9

With an ice pack between his legs, Liam sat in an interrogation room. It was old, dingy, and he knew that it hadn't been updated within the last decade. Lavaridge was a small town, perhaps he shouldn't have expected that much. He didn't quite understand why he was there, he hadn't been charged with anything, and yet he sat in here like a criminal about to be nickel and dimed. He found it hard to focus on anything other than what had happened in that alley, crossing paths with his old flame. She'd always been corrupt, putting to rest all the doubts he had about ignoring her after the ordeal, she had tried calling and getting in contact with him, but after what she was about do to Bjorn…

Then there was Vivienne, he had been so fearful when she arrived with a gun to her head, only to find that he was the one being rescued. She had disarmed the grunt, breaking his arm with one fell swoop. Captain Valkyrie; it was a military title. Where 'Valkyrie' had come from, he did not know, but he found it amusing that a doctor would choose a battle maiden who took the souls of the dead to the eternal halls of the Gods as a name. He had deduced she was military, he could see it now, the wounds she had making more sense. Still, it astounded him that he hadn't seen it sooner. Just _who_ was she in the military?

The door creaked open and a slender man with blonde hair entered, a file in hand. Liam barely recognized him in the lighting, he'd last seen the man in a club. Sitting across from him, the man slapped the file on the table.

"Chief Kline wanted me to make certain you got this, it seems there's been a bit of confusion regarding a mutual person of interest for us," he flipped open the page and inside were pictures of Vivienne.

However, they were not the pictures he had been supplied in Lilycove. Thumbing over the pictures, Vivienne was in a molted green army uniform, the picture depicting her with handful of men and a woman. There was one of her firing a a modded M-4, another where she was standing with her squad of Green Berets, most appeared to be of annual training.

"Kanto wouldn't release these because she's part of a Special Operations Green Beret team for their military. They didn't even want to give away how bad things are over there, so bad they needed to employ military units such as this," he explained to Liam.

"So she's a soldier then," Liam remarked, relieved.

"Yes, and Delta Team's medic," he pointed to the symbol she wore on her shoulder, the crimson medical plus.

"Hm, I suppose that makes sense why her pokemon team is a walking hospital," he continued to go through the pictures. "Did Kline give you any direct orders?"

The blonde shook his head. "No, he just wanted to make certain you obtained this information in private."

"And what about you? You were following us, then?"

"By city, yes, we weren't certain about who she was either. I didn't want to get too close. I don't want to keep you here much longer, we've already released Captain Valkyrie. I would ask her for orders, if I were you."

"So you're not charging her with anything?"

"Why would we? She detained one of Mauville's ex-cops. If anything we owe her one," he closed the file and stood, showing Liam to the door.

Liam left the station, the festival was still active despite the setting sun. He expected to find Viv back at the hotel, but she was sitting outside, waiting for him. His groin still ached, which made walking discomforting, but he was glad to see her nonetheless.

"Captain," he greeted, giving a mocking salute.

A smile unfolded on her face and she appeared relieved, returning the salute halfheartedly. "I wanted to tell you, detective."

"Did you know I was a cop?" he asked her as they headed back into the town.

"I knew you were a fed, but I didn't know what kind. I also walked in on you talking to Professor Birch, which confirmed my suspicions," she explained, a free hand toying with one of her earrings.

"So what now?"

They both paused, Vivienne looking up at him with bright eyes. "Nothing! We continue as we were before."

"You never really told me what you were truly doing here in Hoenn."

"Hunting, in a way. I'm on leave from the military for now, but my intentions were to investigate the scene here. Kanto is already in a lot of trouble, it doesn't need to extend here," she turned her eyes away to stare off into the sky. "Oh, how are you feeling? I saw you got…" she trailed off.

"They still hurt. Why, did you want to check them out, doctor?"

Even as the night was growing darker, he could see that he made her blush. She cast her eyes away, "You're walking. No need. Although, a bath may help you."

"Are you telling me I smell?"

"N-no! I meant for your-" she hissed a sigh, causing Liam to break out into laughter. "Forget it."

A firework burst into the air, causing Vivienne to nearly leap out of her skin. She drew her hands to her chest, breathing heavily as she braced for the next. Liam had thought it was cute at first until he saw the wild fear on her face. "Viv?"

"Sorry, I don't like- EEP!" another firework cut her off, her shoulders tensing. Nothing thus far had frightened the doctor, but some little fireworks?

 _No it's deeper than that,_ he thought, she was glancing over her shoulder, as if she were expecting something to happen.

"Come on," he placed a hand on her back and began walking her through Lavaridge, hoping that his touch would reassure her. She jumped a few more times, but they made it to inn with no incident.

"Thanks," she muttered, rubbing her head. "I wanted to talk more, but I think I'm just going to rest. Maybe use the bathhouse."

Liam had so many questions, but he nodded. If they were going to continue traveling with one another, he'd have plenty of time to ask them. How bad was Kanto? What was it like being in the military? How had they recruited her into the special ops team?

"It's been an eventful day," he agreed, watching as she bid goodnight and left him.

* * *

The fireworks had been an unforeseen issue. She should have predicted that a festival would have had them, but she didn't believe she'd have such a negative reaction. Vivienne might have lapsed into an episode if not for Liam pulling her away from the images that had begun flickering in front of her eyes.

 _I need to control them better, if something were to happen and I got distracted because of it..._ She shook her head in disdain with herself.

In all, she hadn't dwelled on the day as much as she should have. Everything had blurred by so quickly, her need to react as swiftly as possible, after Liam had gone off with the rogue cop. With a situation such as that one, she went into autopilot, her years of work taking the reigns as she did her duty. However, when she surfaced again, she found that her thoughts were muddled and often she wondered if she had been to cold or merciless.

Despite it all, she wondered how Liam was faring. She knew that Hawthorne had to have been with him at one point by the way she spoke to him and the way he couldn't bring himself to look at her. What she had done to him, it had to have been terrible. She wanted to know, but her headache had only gotten progressively worse, especially after the call with her commander.

 _At least I don't have to guard myself as before. If he knew who I am, it's easier. We can accomplish more than if we were keeping our identities a secret,_ she thought, removing her kimono and folding it neatly. She put a robe on and called down at the desk to request a private bathing room. With the fireworks ongoing, most people weren't even considering taking a herb infused bath, meaning private rooms were readily available.

Sliding on some flip flops, Vivienne picked up a mimosa before heading to the bath house portion of the inn. Her room was filled with mist from the natural springs. The areas were divided by tall bamboo walls, each area able to host a handful of people. She placed her towels and robe on the bend and climbed into the springs, her hair splaying around her as she sank deeper.

The ice cold mimosa balanced the heat she felt. She heard the soft clicking of a bamboo pipes knocking against one another as they filled with hot water and toppled over. Enjoying the solitude, she didn't hear the door to her room open.

"You're right, I do feel a lot better."

Vivienne's hand clenched around her glass tightly as she opened her eyes to see Liam sitting across from her in the bath. Whirling her head around, she sank lower into the water, worried that he might be able to see through the mineral infused spring water.

"Don't worry, I'll stay over here," he promised, placing his arms on the edge of the floor, his muscular arms and chest displayed.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" she grumbled, the water up to her collar at this point.

"I hope not, because if you were having one, I hope you know I'd be inclined to come closer at that point," he warned with a devilish grin.

Vivienne ignored the comment and took another sip of her drink.

"Honestly, I just wanted to make certain you were alright. PTSD is no joke."

Her eyes snapped open. "That's not what I have," she insisted sternly.

She had gone over this multiple times, wondering what was wrong with herself.

"The fireworks?"

"I don't like loud noises," she lied.

"You didn't even flinch when you fired that gun today. And you seemed fine in the club the other night. It's not uncommon," he continued gently.

"I do not have PTSD. I'm perfectly capable of doing my job, some noises just get to me from time to time," and the nightmares, but memories just came with the territory. She had killed people and her brain would never let her forget that.

"How well do you sleep? Is that why you're up so early everyday?"

" _Stop_ interrogating me," she ordered. "Look, I've seen shit, alright? And I have to live with it."

"It can get in the way of your work. If you are diagnosed with it, you may not be able to return to service."

"I'm not going to submit to a psych evaluation. I'm figuring it all out, still getting over some things that happened. It's perfectly normal," she replied, going to take another sip of her drink, only realize it was empty. She slouched and drew a shaky breath. Talking medical jargon had never been an issue, but psychological was a whole other story. She knew that parts of her were messed up from her father and others from what she had seen, but she'd overcome and grow stronger because of it.

"Sometimes, just talking to someone helps," Liam said.

"I don't want to talk about it," she snapped harshly. "At least… not right now," she added softly, guilty that she had been mean to him.

"I'm available whenever you do," he offered despite her attitude.

Vivienne didn't answer him, but instead tried to relax. Her emotions felt as if they were an ocean, uncontainable, and expansive. She wouldn't be able to sleep like this. It'd be a night for sleeping pills, even if that meant she'd have worse nightmares. Eventually, she decided it was time to turn in.

"Either you get out first or don't look," she instructed.

"I won't look," he swore lamely.

"And if I don't believe you?" she challenged.

"I guess you're never getting out."

Viv had to settle for him 'covering' his eyes. Hurrying her way to her towel and robe, uncertain if he had peeked or not. Part of her thought him trustworthy enough, but between all his flirting and comments, she also doubted that he wouldn't have taken a moment to look when her back was to him.

"Good night," she bid before sliding on her sandals, returning to her room.

* * *

Poke'Nav ringing, Liam leaned over to scrabble on the nightstand for it. The light blinked on, illuminating his face, and blinding him momentarily before he saw Lieutenant Pearce's face on the screen.

"Good morning, detective. Still catching up on your beauty rest? I heard yesterday was quite eventful," she greeted, her face a solemn mask despite her teasing or what he assumed was her attempt at joking with him.

"Mm, yes, Lieutenant. Turns out our 'target' was in the military."

"Yes, the medic for a Special Operations team. Which would make sense that Kanto would refuse to release records. But that's not why I am calling. It would seem that Mauville City Police Department are requesting your arrival along with Captain Valkyrie. Whatever request they make of you, take it as a direct order from Kline and I," she instructed.

"Are you expecting something to be assigned?" he sat up, pulling the blankets up to cover his bare chest.

"You're not undercover anymore technically and while we have this special operations soldier in Hoenn, I know that people will want to make use of her. Technically, you can return to your PTO, but knowing you, I doubted you would leave the Captain on her own. You're given clearance to work with her if you wish, but we're not forcing you to. Your covert mission is over now that we know her identity and your cover had been blown."

"Then you know me too well. When is Mauville PD expecting us?" he asked.

"This afternoon, so you had better get ready and prepare for your flight south."

"Got it, thanks Lieutenant," he said before her image vanished.

Flopping back onto the bed, he let out a sigh, running his fingers back through his hair. There was no question on whether he would accompany Vivienne. He was fortunate enough that his department saw the opportunity of having him work with her, but there was more to it. This wasn't about duty to Hoenn, he _wanted_ to be beside her. After their exchange last night, he was worried about her. What did a special ops soldiers do? He didn't know much about what was happened in Kanto, but the scars she had, her flinching from fireworks… Her four years working actively had done a number on her.

 _And now that you know who she is, you can focus on what's bothering her… If she'll let you in,_ he thought, lying in bed a little longer before deciding he needed to get ready.

While preparing for the day, his mind switched gears to the occurences yesterday. The moment he had saw Hawthorne, a pit had formed in his stomach. She wouldn't be a problem, now, but he couldn't help but think of the time he spent with her. For so long, he had been hung up on her, especially after what had happened when she was 'undercover'. To see her, she had been just as beautiful as he recalled. His heart had hammered in his chest, her touch just as that he had dreamed.

But her image shattered, his trust was a link of chains, broken with the inability to ever be repaired. Rejecting her had just cracked her guise, trying to win him over, toying with his emotions for no other reason than she enjoyed it. In that moment, he had showed weakness and she had caught him off guard. Hawthorne had been correct when she said that women were his kryptonite. What if Vivienne hadn't been a soldier? What if she had been captured and because of his own inability to see through Hawthorne, he had gotten her killed?

 _It didn't come to that. What ifs are only viable when you're speculating. When you didn't actually live through what happened,_ he rationalized silently.

Liam and Bjorn were out the door, bag slewn over his shoulder. As predicted, even though he was up early, Vivienne was already prepared for the day. She was sitting in the main lobby, glancing down at her Poke'Nav, Magnar by her side.

"Mauville?" she peeped, standing as he approached.

"Yeah… Did someone call you?" he asked her as they turned in their room keys and paid for their stay in the inn.

"Mm, I received a call from my commander."

"Little miss soldier, I don't know how I didn't see it before," he teased.

"You didn't know. I don't look like I'm a soldier. You on the other hand…" she gave him a good look over. "I knew you weren't a civilian. You're too clean cut… And an Arcanine? C'mon now. Kanto officers almost all have an Arcanine or Growlithe. Nothing against you, Bjorn."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

She shrugged. "It didn't really matter. In fact, it's the reason I chose to travel with you."

"I was that transparent, huh?"

"I did graduate medical school at the age of 21, few things get past me," she pointed out, producing a couple of poke'balls. "You know the deal," she told Magnar, returning him to his poke'ball, releasing Bella.

Liam followed suit and swapped Bjorn for Artemis, before their journey began. The trek to Mauville was much briefer than some of their other flights. They flew down from, altitude sinking as they left the Lavaridge, perched beside Mt. Chimney. Eventually, the scenic views were replaced with an enormous city, skyscrapers jutting like fingers pointing to the sky.

Liam led the way, knowing where the police department was located, closer to the heart of the city.

Mauville was a feat of electrical engineering. Bright lights, neon signs, cars, bikes, busy streets. It was a city that never slept and because it didn't, the amount of crime far surpassed what the department was capable of handling on their own. They often borrowed officers from quieter towns when the going got tough, but even then, it was like struggling to outrun an avalanche.

When they entered, it was as if a brigade of officers had been waiting for them. Liam recognized a few, but one approached and offered him an open hand to shake.

"Detective Greyson, long time no see," Officer Harlem greeted, a lean young man with silvery blue hair. He didn't bother keeping it as neatly cropped or styled as Liam kept his, instead it flying into his face.

"I know, it has been a long time," he hadn't been around since getting shot in the leg by Hawthorne. He'd never had a reason to return to Mauville and nor had the desire. Harlem had been a prospective beginning officer when he had last visited. A few years had done him well, it would seem. "This is my companion Doctor Vivienne Valkyrie. Viv, this is Officer Harlem."

"A pleasure, you can call me Vivienne, unless I'm in uniform; then it's Captain from the both of you!" she chimed, giving Harlem a short and courteous bow.

"Captain Valkyrie! Yes, actually some things arrived in the overnight mail for you here. Hm… Meyers! Can you come and take the captain to the mailroom and make certain she obtains her parcels?" he summoned a young woman, fresh out of police academy.

Her hair was so tightly pinned that Liam thought it was pulling her face back. "Of course, sergeant."

"Sergeant! Look who ranked up," Liam commented, arching a brow as Vivienne departed with Meyers.

"A lot has been happening here in the last few years. How about we get some coffee and chat? The meeting is not for another hour or so."

"Coffee. I like the sound of that. Missed my morning cup trying to get here," he remarked, rubbing his jaw as they headed to the breakroom.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Lieutenant Pearce wanted you to have this again," fishing into the pocket of his uniform, Harlem retrieved a badge. "There's a gun to go along with this, but you're going to have to secure that from the armory later."

Slapping the badge into Liam's hand, the man couldn't help but feel as if he were being given back a piece of himself. The gold badge glinted in the fluorescent light, the Lilycove City insignia etched on it with detective framing the top of the shield. "Thanks, it's nice to have it again," he said as he slid it onto his belt loop, actually bothering to tuck his shirt in so that the badge was visible.

"Don't thank me until you have your gun back, honestly I don't know how you traveled without it," Harlem said as he poured the both of them hot coffee.

"Pokemon are better than guns. Bjorn's already saved my ass once since I went undercover, with the assistance of Captain Valkyrie."

"So what was it like?" Harlem asked as he leaned up against the water fountain. "Traveling with a spec ops Kanto soldier?"

"I didn't know she was a soldier until yesterday, but I suppose things make more sense now that I do," the coffee wasn't very good, it had to have been sitting on the burner for a while now.

"She's hot too, I'm jealous I didn't get an assignment like yours," Harlem didn't seem bothered by the coffee. Maybe coffee was just terrible in Mauville.

"That she is…" he muttered blankly. "So what have you been up to?"

Sitting down to converse, Harlem launched into what he had been working on in the recent years. He wasn't a detective, but he had been on the first responding overnight crew and had worked a lot of shootings in the lower income areas in Mauville. The state of the city was just like the recent reports he had read. Drugs were a problem for both humans and pokemon on the streets, now Mauville PD were certain that Team Magma was behind all of the deals in the city. On top of that, there were several big pits that moved around the city every few days, making them difficult to track down.

"Most of the people we find shot are those that haven't paid their dues or crossed the gang," Harlem explained, shaking his head. "You want another refill?" he asked, standing as he headed over for another cup.

Liam shook his head, surprisingly, he had barely finished the first had been given.

"Oh shit, we've got to get to the conference room. Meeting begins soon," Harlem cursed as he glanced at his watch.

Liam dumped the rest of his coffee out, rinsing it out, before he left it in the sink. A sense of deja vu fell over the detective as they headed to the conference room.

"There you are, I couldn't find you anywhere. This place is like a maze and once I got my package, Meyers dropped me like a hot potato," Vivienne came from around a corner, dressed in her her army green dress uniform. The uniform consisted of a dark olive green jacket, cinched at the waist by a belt, her right breast had a pin with 'VALKYRIE' printed on it, her left breast had three racks of various ribbons she had earned. A pair of golden wings was set above the ribbons and a few other patches were situated on her chest and shoulders. Her rank sat on her shoulder boards, a structured service cap underneath her arm.

Vivienne's trousers were neatly pressed and tan, brown leather shoes peeping out. Attached to her belt was a holstered Beretta M9. Her hair was tied back neatly and pinned in a bun.

"What? We're going to be late," she scowled.

"Nothing, you just look good in uniform," he commented, giving her a look over again.

"You must have a thing for women in uniforms," she retorted dryly before they all headed into the conference room.

A good number of people were already waiting for them, a map splayed on the table, and officers ready to make preparations. Greetings went around swiftly, but it was business they were trying to get to.

"Good afternoon everyone. Let us get this meeting started," sitting around the oval shaped table were all higher ranking officials in the Mauville PD consisting of the chief of police, their commanding officer, the detectives, and the top enlisted officers.

"To fill in for those who may not know, Mauville City has been in a downward spiral since the betrayal of several of our own officers who were leaking information to the local gangs. In the most recent years, we've seen an increase in violence, homicide, drug dealing, and pokemon pit fighting. Before, what we saw was scattered and unorganized, but now these operations are eluding us. They're smarter and know how we think. Of course, we've faced them in the past, but they were just thugs, petty thieves and dreamers, wanting to unleash Groudon to create their idea of utopia. After that didn't pan out and their leader Maxie was tossed in prison, we lost sight of Team Magma until this point.

"Even so, their interests weren't aligned in what we arrest them for now. Team Rocket has been using their influence and money to help rebuild Team Magma. The state of Kanto-"

"The state of Kanto and Johto is pitiful," Vivienne said, standing up. "Team Rocket has managed to all but overthrow the government. If our own police departments had worked faster, cut the head off the Ekans before it grew into an Arbok… People like me wouldn't have to be fighting to make the roads safe. There is no 'order of law' any longer. The military is sent on missions and we complete them, neutralizing our targets. We're fighting an uphill battle against what is an army masked by shadows and if you don't put an end to Team Magma's activity, you will begin to see that your influence will also crumble."

A few officers nodded in agreement with her, the Chief of Police clearing his throat. "Yes, I agree and we do not wish to have to summon a military force. However, since we have you here Captain, your insight is greatly appreciated. However, our issue is that they are eluding us."

"You need another force to combat them without scaring the public. That is what Kanto got wrong. We tried to to end it all in one fight and it was our very own people that rebelled in fear. The less that the civilians know the better, the last thing you want is them against you and with the gangs. I know that there is another group that may be able to take strides against Team Magma," Vivienne continued, placing her cap on the table. "Team Aqua."

The room was disquieted by her suggestion, people glancing at each other, uncertain of what to say. "You think that the key to destroying one gang is to support another?" the chief questioned incredulously.

"You're police, you will never have the ability to access these underground networks without having officers spend years undercover. Even then, it's been proven that a good portion of them end of setting you back to square one when they become double agents. I know Team Aqua's leader, Archie. He delved a bit into pit fighting, but his mind was always set on the utopia he wanted to create. Hoenn is suffering, even he can see that, if we can convince him to revive Team Aqua and begin trying to encroach on Magma's domain, it'll cause Magma to retaliate, since they won't want to lose money and revenue. They're uncontested right now, they need a challenge, something that's going to cause them to slip and Team Aqua is the perfect solution."

"And you propose that we recruit Archie to do this for us? Why would he? We put him in jail for years for being a nut and trying to revive Kyogre," a detective pointed out.

"Because he loves Hoenn. I know that for a fact. He would fight for it, even if it meant working with police. Let me go to him, I can convince him, he knows me because of who my father was. He knows that I left for the military. And if there is anyone who has even the slightest chance of convincing him to get in on this ploy, it would be me," Vivienne argued. "You have to consider that taking the lawful route is just going to lose time and put you further behind. I don't want to see Hoenn turn into the mess that Kanto is. I've only been here a short while and the people and landscape has moved me."

 _They're considering it,_ Liam realized as he watched their expressions, the lieutenant leaning over to whisper in the chief's ear.

"Detective Greyson, you were the one who ended both Team Aqua and Magma's operations 14 years ago, you crossed paths with both Maxie and Archie. What do you think of this?" the chief asked.

Vivienne looked over at him, her eyes were intent, hard, and showed resolution. She believed that she could convince Archie and make this work. "I remember both of them. Maxie was more calculating, careful, meticulous; a psychopath in his own right, wanting a Utopia because he wanted to rule over everything. Archie on the other hand… he was delusional as well, but he knew when he stepped over the line. If the roles were reversed, I wouldn't waste my time with Maxie, but Archie…" he drawled, sighing after a moment. "I admit that this is a tactic where we put a lot of reliance into a criminal, but what other leads do we have? Viv-Captain Valkyrie is right, if we don't act fast enough, Team Magma is going to spread over all of Hoenn like a poisonous smog. With Team Rocket guiding them, they'll be able to move swiftly too. They need resistance, someone butting heads with them, and their old rival is perfect."

The idea was not favored, but they continued to consider it for more than a half an hour afterward. Eventually, it was decided that if Archie could be convinced, they would offer him immunity if he worked alongside of them. None of the conversation was to leave the room, or else it would compromise the very shaky plan they had just erected. Apparently, after being released from prison a handful of years prior, Archie had become a successful entrepreneur living in Mossdeep City. Liam hadn't even heard anything about Archie ever since he had last seen him years ago, to think he had only truly been a stone's throw away…

Now it was Vivienne's responsibility to convince Archie to help Hoenn. She was convinced she could do it, but with how low Archie had been laying, he wondered if the ex-gang leader had any interest in returning to the scene.


End file.
